City workers around Minnesota are routinely planting new trees, which need extra water. And those young boulevard trees have really had a hard time this summer as dry conditions persisted in the state, MPR reports. Officials are pleading for help from homeowners.

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.

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 whole state of Minnesota is in the midst of a moderate, if not severe, drought. Even rain that fell this week didn't help soil moisture much. The ground is still frozen, so most of the water just ran off.

Temperatures will drop throughout the day Thursday, and Friday will be sunny and cooler – the Twin Cities will wake up to about 28 degrees. Then rain is likely throughout Saturday, local forecasters say. The parched metro could get the most significant rainfall it has had in two to three months, but that's not saying much – less than an inch is likely.

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.