SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — After record breaking precipitation the past two years, it’s hard to believe the drought monitor would be watched in KELOLAND. But as meteorologist Brian Karstens explains, dry pockets are starting to pop up.

Thunderstorms have kept much of KELOLAND near or above normal for precipitation this year. But there are exceptions out there and drier weather will be watched. June is typically one of the wettest times of the year. That’s true for some areas, again.

The 30-day rainfall paints a few pockets of blue west of Sioux Falls where thunderstorm earlier this week left a footprint of heavy rain. However, spots that missed the rain are gaining attention. Far northeastern South Dakota and west central Minnesota continue to dry out.

In fact, the drought monitor shows moderate drought in that area.  

The drought monitor wasn’t even a thought last year.  Here’s what the map looked like one year ago. Very little drought was found in the United States.

But this year, we’ve had a big shift toward drought in Colorado, New Mexico, and western Kansas. It’s unlikely this area of drought will improve as we approach the hottest time of the year.

This area of drought is part of the reason hotter weather is returning to the 7-day forecast. We’ll continue to monitor the rainfall pattern and it’s impact in the coming days.