After another week of summer temperatures with little to no rainfall, drought conditions continue to worsen across the Ozarks. It has been two weeks since Springfield and Joplin have recorded measurable rainfall. The combination of dry conditions and near-record heat has caused conditions to quickly deteriorate.
In the drought monitor released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture this week, the majority of the Ozarks are classified as abnormally dry, with pockets of moderate drought expanding along the Interstate 49 corridor and in Texas County.
Despite being more than 4 inches ahead of the expected precipitation pace for the start of the year, the rainfall deficit is rapidly increasing across the Ozarks. While rain gauges in Springfield are still relatively close to expected levels, Joplin and West Plains are multiple inches below expected precipitation totals for 2026.
In Arkansas, the need for rain is even greater.
The USDA has placed nearly the entire state, 99.46%, under some level of drought classification as rainfall becomes increasingly rare. Little Rock, Arkansas, has recorded only one-hundredth of an inch of rain in the past five weeks…