Drought conditions worsen.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 27 percent of the state is in severe drought, up from 13.5 percent last week.
Those severe conditions spread into most of Burleigh County this week, which previously had a moderate drought rating.
All of Morton County is in severe drought, as well as all of McLean, Mercer, Oliver, Grant Sioux, Emmons and McIntosh counties.
Fireworks have long been banned within the city limits of Bismarck without a public display permit, but, with the dry conditions, a number of others municipalities have added temporary bans of their own.
No fireworks of any kind, regardless of the fire danger rating, may be launched in Lincoln or in Burleigh or Morton counties.
Mandan will decide Friday whether or not to ban them.
Mandan’s public displays, such as the one at Mandan Rodeo Days, would not be affected by a ban.
Chances of rain through the weekend range from 20 to 40 percent in the southwest and south central portions of the state.
Chances of at least one-quarter inch of rain Saturday are as high as 80 percent in the northeast, according to the National Weather Service.