Drought maintains strong hold on Dakotas, Montana.
Areas of severe drought and extreme drought expanded this past week across eastern Montana, south-central North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota, where hot and dry conditions persisted, according to the United States Drought Monitor.
Rainfall accumulations were generally less than 1 inch, providing little relief.
In North Dakota, extreme drought conditions moved from 25 percent of the state to 30 percent of the state in the past week.
The only counties that saw enough rain to lose drought status were Walsh, Nelson, Grand Forks and northern portions of Griggs, Steele and Traill on the east side of the state.
Below normal precipitation is projected for the next week.
Meteorologists with the Weather Channel indicated that some charts are indicating the hot and dry conditions will continue through the third week of July.
Hit-and-miss thunderstorms with lightning could ignite wildfires.
Temperatures will remain in the 90s, perhaps flirting with 100 degrees, on Saturday and Sunday in the Bismarck and Mandan areas.