For the first time since July 31, no counties in Missouri are classified as having exceptional drought conditions by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Officials with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources also said this was the first time since July 3 that no counties have extreme drought conditions.
DNR officials said the monitor indicates just under 55 percent of the state is now in what would be considered dry or drought conditions, a nearly 12 percent improvement from last week’s figures.
Cole, Boone, Callaway, Moniteau and Morgan counties remain in severe drought condition, which means there have been crop or pasture losses, and the fire risk is still considered high.
The northwest part of the state, where exceptional drought conditions existed for much of the summer, is now showing either normal conditions or only abnormally dry conditions with the fire risk in the are still above average.
There are a few pockets of moderate drought conditions in the west where streams, reservoirs or wells still have low levels. Nearly the entire eastern half of the state is now showing normal conditions.