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.

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.

Federal officials say more than 80 percent of Minnesota is abnormally dry. A week ago it was less than two-thirds. The new drought map includes the northern half of the Twin Cities area. But southern Minnesota is the state's most parched region.

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.