A cooler and wetter than average December led to some improvement to drought conditions.  However extreme drought conditions persist across the region.

Drought in CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions in the northeast corner of Central and Southern Valley County were at (D3-Extreme) conditions, while the remaining area of Central and Southern Valley County remained in (D4-Exceptional) drought. By the third week all of Central and Southern Valley County improved to (D3-Extreme) drought conditions.  This remained the same through the end of December.

Drought in SHERIDAN, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions in Sheridan County were at (D3-Extreme) for the whole county. These conditions remained the same through the rest of December.

Drought in DANIELS, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions in all of Daniels County were at (D3-Extreme). These conditions remained the same through the rest of December.

Drought in EASTERN ROOSEVELT, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions in Eastern Roosevelt County were at (D3-Extreme) in the northern two thirds of the county as well as the southeastern corner while the southwestern third of the county was at (D4-Exceptional) conditions.  During the second week of December the southwestern third of Eastern Roosevelt County improved to (D3-Extreme) conditions, making the whole area of Eastern Roosevelt County (D3-Extreme) conditions.  These conditions would remain the same through the end of December.

Drought in RICHLAND, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

At the start of December the southern corner of Richland County was in (D2-Severe) conditions, while the northwestern third of the county was in (D4-Exceptional) drought and the central third of the county was in (D3-Extreme) conditions.  During the second week of December the northwestern third of the county improved to (D3-Extreme) conditions.  This would bring all but the southern corner of Richland County into (D3-Extreme) conditions, while the southern corner remained at (D2-Severe) conditions. These conditions remained the same through the end of December.

Drought in DAWSON, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, the northwest corner of Dawson County was in (D4-Exceptional) conditions. The north central portion of the county, along with the far southern part bordering southern Wibaux County and eastern Prairie County were in (D3-Extreme) conditions. The rest of the southern half of Dawson County was in (D2-Severe) drought.  By the second week of December the northwestern corner had improved to (D3-Extreme) drought conditions.  By the third week of December the far southern part of Dawson County bordering southern Wibaux and eastern Prairie County had improved to (D2-Severe) drought conditions.  Overall on the third week this would make the northwestern third of Dawson County in (D3-Extreme) conditions and the southeastern two thirds of Dawson County in (D2-Severe) conditions.  These conditions remained the same through the end of December.

Drought in WIBAUX, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions in the northern third of Wibaux County was at (D2-Severe) conditions, while the southern two thirds of the county were in (D3-Extreme) conditions. By the third week of December all of Wibaux County had improved to (D2-Severe) conditions and these conditions would remain the same through the end of December.

Drought in PRAIRIE, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start the month of December, ongoing drought conditions in the eastern quarter and along the northern border of Prairie County were in (D3-Extreme) conditions, while the rest of the county was at (D2-Severe) drought conditions.  By the third week of December the eastern quarter of Prairie County had improved to (D2-Severe) conditions.  This places all but the northern border of Prairie County in (D2-Severe) conditions, while the northern border remained in (D3-Extreme) conditions.  This would last through the end of December.

Drought in WESTERN ROOSEVELT, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions in the northern two thirds of Western Roosevelt County were at (D3-Extreme) conditions while the southern third of Western Roosevelt County was in (D4-Exceptional) drought. On the second week of December the southeast corner of Western Roosevelt County improved to (D3-Severe) conditions.  On the third week the southwestern corner of Western Roosevelt County improved to (D3-Severe) conditions.  This placed all of Western Roosevelt County in (D3-Severe) drought conditions.  This would continue through the end of December.

Drought in GARFIELD, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions in northern Garfield County around Fort Peck Lake were at (D4-Exceptional) conditions while most of the southeastern two thirds of Garfield County were in (D3-Extreme) drought. The exception was the far southeastern corner of Garfield county was in (D2-Severe) drought. By the third week of December most of the area around Fort Peck Lake had improved to (D3-Extreme) conditions.  The western border with Petroleum County remained in (D4-Exceptional) conditions.  So from the third week through the end of December, the far western border of Garfield County was in (D4-Exceptional) conditions, the far southeastern corner was in (D2-Severe) conditions, and the remainder of Garfield County in between was in (D3-Extreme) conditions.

Drought in CENTRAL AND SE PHILLIPS, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions were at (D4-Exceptional) conditions in all but the northwestern corner of Central and Southeast Phillips County, which was in (D3-Extreme) conditions.  By the third week, all but the southwestern corner of Central and Southeast Phillips County improved to (D3-Severe) conditions, while the southwestern corner remained in (D4-Exceptional) conditions.  These conditions remained the same through the end of December.

Drought in MCCONE, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions in the southern third of McCone County was at (D3-Extreme) conditions while the northern two thirds of the county were in (D4-Exceptional) drought. By the second week of December, the northeastern portion of McCone County had improved to (D3-Extreme) conditions.  By the third week of December the northwestern portion of McCone County had improved to (D3-Extreme) conditions.  This would place all of McCone County in (D3-Extreme) conditions and it remained this way through the end of December.

Drought in NORTHERN VALLEY, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions in all of Northern Valley County were at (D3-Extreme) drought conditions. These conditions remained the same for the rest of December.

Drought in NORTHERN PHILLIPS, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start the month of December, ongoing drought conditions were at (D3-Extreme) for all of Northern Phillips County. These conditions remained the same through the end of December.

Drought in PETROLEUM, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, ongoing drought conditions were at (D4-Exceptional) for the northern three quarters of Petroleum County, while the southern quarter of Petroleum County remained in (D3-Extreme) conditions. On the third week of December a small portion of southeast Petroleum County improved to (D3-Extreme) conditions.  This would still leave the northern three quarters of Petroleum County in (D4-Exceptional) conditions, while a slightly larger portion of the southern quarter of Petroleum County was in (D3-Extreme) conditions.  These conditions would remain unchanged through the end of December.

Drought in LITTLE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, MONTANA
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

To start December, all of the Little Rocky Mountains were in (D4-Exceptional) drought conditions.  These conditions remained the same through the end of December.