Some areas of Michigan having the driest start to a year in several decades

GRAND RAPIDS, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Draw a line down the middle of the country and a lot of what’s west of it is in extreme or exceptional drought. But in the Great Lakes region, Michigan is the driest of all states by a landslide.

The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor now puts 77% of Michigan in ‘Moderate Drought’ conditions. That’s a jump of 20% from last week’s report. Almost 80% of the state is considered ‘Abnormally Dry’. At this time last year, Michigan had only 6% of its land considered ‘Abnormally Dry’ and no areas of the state were in ‘Moderate Drought conditions.

Some relief could be on the way. Weather models are trending toward a flow of Gulf air toward the Great Lakes region next week. That could mean rainfall possibly easing what has been a dry spring so far. The pattern would also give us a break from the late-season chill, as Freeze Warnings have been issued for a few nights and mornings over the past week.