Drought area expands in northern U.S., eases in south

Rains help parts of southern Midwest, south-central U.S.
    * Dry weather expands drought in Dakotas, upper Midwest
    * Dryness expands in Texas/Oklahoma panhandle

    Sept 20 (Reuters) - The worst drought to hit the United
States in a half century expanded in the upper Midwest and
northern Plains states in the past week due to warmer- and
drier-than-normal weather, but loosened its grip on some central
and southern areas of the country.
    Nearly 65 percent of the contiguous United States were under
at least "moderate" drought as of Sept. 18, up from about 64
percent a week earlier, according to the Drought Monitor, a
weekly compilation of data gathered by federal and academic
scientists.
    However, the portion of the country under "exceptional"
drought - the most dire classification - declined slightly to
5.96 percent from 6.23 percent a week earlier.

   http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL1E8KK67320120920