Drought grips southwest Missouri as ponds dry up, streams fall to unusually low levels

Southwest Missouri remains among the hardest-hit areas of the state as a worsening drought leaves farm ponds drying up, streams running unusually low, and soil moisture at critically low levels.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows 90.3% of the National Weather Service's Springfield forecast area experiencing moderate drought or worse.

Nearly 80% is in severe drought or worse, while more than half is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought.

Just three months ago, none of the forecast area was classified as being in severe drought.

In the Joplin area, much of Jasper County remains in severe drought, while conditions become increasingly serious farther south. Portions of Newton and Lawrence counties are experiencing extreme drought, and exceptional drought—the highest classification—affects parts of Barry and McDonald counties.

The National Weather Service says the ongoing drought is already affecting local water supplies and agriculture.

Farm ponds are drying up or already dry, forcing some agricultural operations to rely more on wells.

Streamflows across much of the region have fallen below normal levels, with some monitoring stations reporting extremely low readings.

Soil moisture is another major concern. In many locations, moisture levels rank between the first and 10th percentiles, indicating some of the driest conditions historically observed for this time of year.

The drought has been fueled by prolonged rainfall shortages and above-normal temperatures. Most of the region received below-normal precipitation during the past 30 days, while little to no rain fell over the past week.

Forecasters expect some rain Sunday AND late next week, but dry conditions should persist.