Drought conditions continued in North Louisiana, as October closed with only a trace over .6 inch of moisture recorded, according to unofficial readings in Dodson.

This continues a year-long trend, which has seen an average of barely three inches per month over six months, and a total of barely over two inches in the past three months of August, September and October.

The National Drought Monitor, a cooperative venture of the USDA, National Drought Mitigation Center, National Weather Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, issued its latest map on October 24, showing "exceptional" drought conditions in west central Alabama and south eastern Mississippi, with "extreme" drought in the remainder of Alabama, Mississippi, all of eastern Louisiana and Arkansas, and "severe" drought in all of western Louisiana except extreme northwest Louisiana, western Arkansas, and east Texas, which were reaching "first stage" drought.

During October, only "traces" of rainfall - measuring significantly less than one-tenth of one inch, were noted, on October 5 and 16.

For monthly and annual details, and links to regional and national weather sites, see the Dodson home page, http://dodsonla.home.att.net/ . The Dodson page may also be accessed by a link from The Piney Woods Journal home page, www.thepineywoods.com.