Lincoln, Nebraska (RI) — Drought conditions continue to improve in Iowa.
The latest US Drought Monitor shows most of the middle of the state has no drought conditions, which is about 64 percent — and is up from 57 percent last week. Less than four percent of the state has areas of moderate drought, including a small patch in O’Brien County. Six counties in the southeast, four in south-central, and two in eastern Iowa also have some moderate drought.
Around 36 percent of the state is abnormally dry, in sections along the eastern and western edges. Just 20 percent of the state had no drought conditions at the start of the year.
For northwest Iowa, there has been no change since a week ago, but since two weeks ago, the patch of moderate drought in O’Brien County has shrunk. It used to have an arm that went across northern Sioux County and into extreme southwest Lyon County, and then just down along the Big Sioux River into Plymouth County, where it expanded to cover about half of that county. All of that is gone now, except a small patch in central O’Brien County.
Most of our four-county area is in the area called “abnormally dry.” But there is also a swath of “normal” area in extreme southwest O’Brien County and about the southeast quarter of Sioux County.
Find the latest drought monitor map here.
