DESOTO COUNTY, Miss. — The DeSoto County drought loosened its grip this past week. The newest U.S. Drought Monitor map, released Thursday, Nov. 12, shows severe drought now covers only about 16% of the county. A week earlier it covered nearly three-quarters of DeSoto, and two weeks ago it covered all of it. Forecasters warn, though, that the improvement may not last. The National Weather Service in Memphis expects at least seven straight dry days, along with the season’s first areawide freeze on Saturday morning.
DeSoto County Drought by the Numbers
The Drought Monitor is a weekly map produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and NOAA. This week’s map reflects conditions as of 7 a.m. EST Tuesday, Nov. 10. County-level figures from the Drought Monitor show how quickly things changed in DeSoto County:
Moderate drought (D1) or worse: still 100% of the county, unchanged from recent weeks.
Severe drought (D2) or worse: 15.8% this week, down from 73.3% on Nov. 3 and 100% on Oct. 27.
Extreme drought (D3) or worse: 1.3% this week, down from 9.5% on Nov. 3 and 72.7% on Oct. 27.
Exceptional drought (D4): about 0.1% of the county, down from 1.2% on Nov. 3.
The improvement follows the soaking rain that arrived around Election Day, when the weather service issued a flood advisory for DeSoto County on Nov. 3. Even so, the whole county is still officially in drought. One good rain does not fully refill ponds, creeks and soil moisture after a dry fall. Late last month, a pond at the Gardens at Snowden Grove in Southaven was drying up.
Neighbors and the Rest of Mississippi
DeSoto’s neighbors tell a mixed story. Marshall County to the east no longer has any severe drought on the map, and only about 13% of Tate County to the south is in severe drought. Tunica County to the west remains among the driest places in the state. All of Tunica is in severe drought or worse, about 76% is in extreme drought, and roughly 36% is in exceptional drought, the highest category.
Statewide, conditions actually got worse this week. The Drought Monitor’s Mississippi summary shows:
About 92% of the state is in moderate drought or worse, up from 87% a week earlier.
About 46% is in extreme or exceptional drought, up from 38% last week and just 4% three months ago.
About 7.5% is in exceptional drought, centered on the Delta, up from about 5.9% last week.
Dry Forecast Could Undo the Gains
The weather service’s Thursday forecast discussion says dry conditions are expected over the next seven days, “likely worsening the current drought.” A system crossing the region Sunday night could bring a few drops to the Mississippi Delta, but forecasters do not expect any meaningful rain.
Colder air arrives first. For the Hernando area, the forecast calls for:
Tonight: mostly clear, low around 35.
Friday: sunny, high near 51.
Friday night: mostly clear, low around 30, as the weather service expects an areawide freeze with heavy frost by Saturday morning.
Saturday and Sunday: sunny to mostly sunny, highs in the low 50s, with Saturday night near freezing again.
Highs should climb back into the 60s by the middle of next week. DeSoto County News first flagged the cold snap earlier this week in its hard freeze outlook.
What Residents Can Do
With dry, breezy weather returning, a few simple steps can help:
Be careful with outdoor fires. Burn bans change often during dry spells. Check the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s burn ban list at mfc.ms.gov before burning leaves or brush, and never leave a fire unattended.
Water new plantings before the freeze. Moist soil holds heat better than dry soil, and fall-planted shrubs and trees are especially vulnerable in drought.
Protect pipes, plants and pets. Bring pets inside, cover tender plants Friday evening, and disconnect outdoor hoses before temperatures drop to around 30.
The next Drought Monitor map will be released Thursday, Nov. 19.
