Officials say the metro area is in its eighth year of drought and even rain expected this week -- it won’t be enough to keep trees healthy. The city is asking residents to water the trees in their yards and on their block in order to prevent them from becoming vulnerable in the winter and dying off.

Climatologists say the state's gone six weeks without a substantial rain at a time when precipitation is key for crops, lawns and trees before the first hard freeze.

Minnesota’s record dry season has area farmers worried about next year’s crops. MPR says if the drought conditions carry over into the spring, farmers won’t have enough moisture to water a normal amount of crops.

Drought conditions in the state are worsening, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor report release this week. More than 30 percent of the state is in extreme drought, up about 10 percent from last week. The DNR says drought conditions are straining the state's natural water resources.

The nonprofit group Tree Trust is helping residents replace the hundreds of trees destroyed by the storm. City inspectors are still working to determine how many homes remain unrepaired so they can help those homeowners before winter sets in.

The drought has caused a shortage of flattened, dried cow manure – or cow chips – for the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw and Festival, which attracts about 300 throwers and 40,000 spectators to Prairie du Sac, Wis, the Associated Press reports. "This is my 24th throw, and it's never been this difficult to find chips," one competitor said.