Just a week after earning a severe drought designation, southern Wisconsin — including Kenosha County – has been upgraded to extreme drought status, according to the National Weather Service.

Says the NWS:

The dry conditions southern Wisconsin has experienced are largely attributable to a dry mid-level high pressure that has lingered over a large portion of continental United States. The high pressure has prevented ample moisture from the Gulf of Mexico from reaching the area and diverted storm tracks to the north. To make matters worse, drought begets drought, meaning, less soil moisture and less evapotranspiration leads to even drier, warmer conditions, which further exacerbate drought conditions.”