COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drought is costing Missouri agriculture significant amounts of money.

Since the 1980s, Missourians have had 16 drought disasters costing $1 billion or more, says University of Missouri Extension state climatologist Zachary Leasor. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates the total cost of these disasters is between $10 billion and $20 billion.

Leasor refers to it as “persistent drought,” the kind that doesn’t go away with a couple of good gully washers. It’s the kind of drought that digs down deep in the soil.

That is part of why he and other members of the Missouri Climate Center team are installing in-ground moisture sensors at some stations in the Missouri Mesonet, a statewide network of 45 weather stations. The sensors will record soil moisture at different depths to understand how soil responds to drought or excess moisture.

The additions are part of a partnership with Missouri Hydrology Information Center and Missouri Department of Natural Resources to develop a statewide soil and atmospheric monitoring plan and produce daily soil moisture maps.

Soil moisture data helps in understanding the storage and movement of water within the soil profile, Leasor says. Soil moisture also influences critical exchanges of water between the atmosphere and land surface.

Missouri has been hit hard by drought during the past three consecutive years, he says. In 2024, the state recorded its 11th-driest August-to-October period ever, based on data going back to 1895. That followed 2023, when the state had its 7th-driest May-November on record, and 2022, when Missouri had its 15th-driest June-September on record.

By the end of October 2024, most of southwestern Missouri was in drought condition D3, indicating extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Stone, Barry, Hickory and Lawrence counties in southwestern Missouri’s forage and cattle stronghold all had rainfall deficits of 6 inches or more from August to October.

By the end of November, the waterspouts had turned back on, and most of the state received an abundance of rainfall. St. Louis had 9.68 inches of rainfall, giving the city its second-wettest November on record. Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia also had above-normal precipitation. Several longstanding one- and two-day November rainfall records were broken on Nov. 4 and Nov. 5, with Mountain Grove in Wright County getting 12.50 inches of rain during the two-day period.

In addition to rainfall shortages, producers of row crops, forages and livestock saw higher temperatures in 2024, with the preliminary annual temperature 3.5 degrees above normal. The year was Missouri’s second-warmest in 130 years of records, says Leasor.

Looking to 2025, Leasor says La Nina may or may not bring relief. While January and February were colder and snowier for many, most of the state is slightly below average for wintertime precipitation, and springtime moisture will be critical. Typically, La Nina can bring wetter conditions mainly to eastern Missouri, but most of Missouri’s current drought areas are to the west. This is also a weak La Nina that is not expected to last long, so there is uncertainty over how much impact La Nina will have on spring weather.

Leasor notes that the U.S. Drought Monitoring Network has improved communications about drought. The network includes more than 400 scientists from across the U.S. who provide input on local conditions. Through their observations, the network works to understand the science of drought and improve awareness and decision-making about drought, he says.

Learn more about the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ Missouri Climate Center at http://climate.missouri.edu or https://www.facebook.com/missouriclimatecenter.

Photo

https://extension.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/legacy_media/wysiwyg/News/photos/20250303-drought-cattle-1.jpg

McDonald County in southwestern Missouri was hit hard by drought in 2024. The stronghold of Missouri cattle country, southwestern Missouri was in D3 drought stage by the end of October, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Drought Monitor (https://droughtimpacts.unl.edu).