‘Flash drought’ spreads across Montana in less than 3 months

HELENA – The drought that is plaguing eastern Montana came on fast.

More than a third of the entire state is now in severe, extreme or exceptional drought after another week with little or no rainfall, according to a report Thursday by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s U.S. Drought Monitor.

Just three months ago, there were no drought areas at all.

Ann Schwend of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation called it a “flash drought” before a legislative committee this week.

The drought monitor estimates that 12 percent of the state – most of northeastern Montana – is in exceptional drought, which is the top end of the scale. That means widespread crop and pasture losses and water-shortage emergencies.

That area is surrounded by a larger land mass covering all of eastern Montana that is in severe or extreme drought.