The lake levels are up, but the U.P. remains abnormally dry.

NEGAUNEE TWP. -- Thanks to plentiful moisture over the past several weeks, drought conditions have improved significantly across Upper Michigan.  But the recent moisture won't provide complete drought relief because there is still a long-term rainfall deficit.

A majority of the U.P. remains abnormally dry, those are the areas in yellow in the image above.

While much of the southern U.P. is in a moderate drought, that's the light orange.

"Precipitation deficits still exist across those portions there along the Wisconsin line, some areas still running eight to ten inch deficits since last summer," said Matt Zika of the NWS.

Thanks to the recent moisture, the severe drought, which was still into the southern U.P. three weeks ago, has retreated into Wisconsin.  That moisture has also relieved the wildfire threat and helped raise the water levels of streams and the Great Lakes.

Lake Superior is about three inches higher than this time last year, while Lake Michigan is about 11 or 12 inches higher than a year ago.