ST. LOUIS (AP) — Extreme drought conditions have spread in several Plains states, but recent rainfall has slightly reduced the overall area of the lower 48 states experiencing some form of drought, according to the latest U.S. drought map.

Nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 states is experiencing some drought, although recent storms pushed the percentage down to 62.91, from last week’s 63.86, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map posted Thursday on its website.

The survey, based on conditions as of Tuesday morning, found that the area experiencing extreme drought — the second highest classification behind exceptional drought — rose nearly 2 percentage points from the previous week, to 22.3 percent. This was due largely to a worsening of conditions in parts of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

The area facing exceptional drought also increased, from 2.38 percent to about 3 percent.

Some areas benefited slightly from rains that “will settle the dust” but still won’t be sufficient to salvage parched crops, National Drought Mitigation Center climatologist Brian Fuchs said by phone from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, where the weekly drought report is released.

“There are rain events that did take place, but we didn’t see any widespread improvement to the core drought areas,” Fuchs said. Such precipitation “probably held off the intensification for a week or so. But the heat is going to kick back in, and we’re going be in the same situation.”