Rains in June helped alleviate some dry areas of northwestern Montana, but the Governor's Drought Advisory Committee remains guarded in its outlook on the state's drought conditions. Though the committee noted some improvement in crop conditions and surface water supplies, it expects Montana will continue to deal with the effects of drought in the future.
Prolonged drought and low precipitation in areas for the past three to five years promise to make recovery more lengthy and gradual. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows much of Montana in "severe" or "extreme" drought, and the Governor's Committee has expressed particular concern for the southeast part of the state.
—Benjamin Knelman
