Des Moines, Iowa — Iowa State Climatologist Justin Glisan says it’s likely this November will rank among the 20 driest Novembers on record in the Hawkeye State.
As of Thursday morning, the statewide average for precipitation is just four-tenths of an inch.
This is the 178th week of moderate drought somewhere in Iowa — the longest drought in Iowa since the U-S Drought Monitor was launched 23 years ago.
Last spring was the 16th driest on record and this past summer was the 17th driest summer in the past 151 years.
The current drought is different from the droughts that struck Iowa in 2012 and 1988, according to Glisan.
Glisan says there are some positives in preliminary forecasts for the middle of December.
So precipitation would be absorbed rather than run off frozen ground.
“As you’ll remember from last year, in early December we had widespread rainfall before we froze up that really helped supply moisture for this growing season,” Glisan says. “Also, wetter soils don’t freeze as fast or as deep, so as we get into winter melt into early spring, there’s faster infilatration if we don’t have a deep frost level.”
Preliminary forecasts show slightly elevated signals for wetter conditions in December.
