The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows the dry conditions in the north central Arkansas are getting worse and the National Weather Service in Little Rock says there isn’t much relief in sight.
The newest drought monitor was released Thursday morning, shows much of north central Arkansas is in the extreme drought category, or a four out of five on their scale.
South central Missouri is not as bad with most of the area showing as moderate dry or abnormally dry, or three or two out of five on their scale.
LACKING RAINFALL
The final five months of 2025 and the first two months of 2026 were very dry in the area.
The average rainfall for August through February in Mountain Home is 26.52 inches. However, at KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot, the official reporting Station in Mountain Home for the National Weather Service, we only received 13.25 inches of rain. That put the area at a deficit of 13.27 inches, meaning only half of the expected rainfall for those seven months fell.
WILDFIRE DANGER
There continues to be a high wildfire danger across the entire state of Arkansas according to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. Burn bans have been issued for all of the counties in north central Arkansas.
The department says under these conditions, fires can ignite easily, spread rapidly, and become dangerous before responders can reach them. Unattended brush fires and campfires are especially likely to escape.
They say:
– Avoid all outdoor burning
– Never leave flames unattended
– Use caution with equipment that can spark
– Keep vehicles off dry grass
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