Increased rains halt spread of Iowa’s drought
Drought conditions receded slightly in Iowa in the past week but is still widespread. (Courtesy of U.S. Drought Monitor)
by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch
July 6, 2023
Iowa’s soil had been drying out for six straight weeks until recent, repeated rainfalls ended the trend.
The U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday reported a slight retreat in the state’s overall dryness. That stopped the spread of drought that had occupied about 26% of Iowa in mid-May, but grew to 89% last week. It is now estimated to cover about 87% of the state.
National Weather Service data show that a significant area of southern Iowa got at least 2 inches of rain in the past week and that some areas had more than 6 inches. Much smaller areas scattered throughout the rest of the state had between 2 and 4 inches, and much of north-central Iowa had little or no rainfall.
The Drought Monitor report on Thursday reflected that: Drought improved or abated in far southern Iowa but worsened in west-central and east-central parts of the state.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture also reported improvements this week in crop field moisture. About 45% of topsoil has adequate or surplus water. That is up from 33% the week before.
The largest increase in available topsoil moisture happened in south-central Iowa, the USDA said, where 65% had adequate or surplus water, compared with 18% the week prior.
More rain is in the forecast starting Friday, when scattered showers are expected to sweep across the state throughout the day. Rainfall totals could vary significantly.
“Our totals are anywhere from a few hundredths maybe to up to an inch or two inches,” said Kristy Carter, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “Things really pan out like that in an area that either takes a couple pretty healthy showers or if they get one really efficient one.”
The next chances for rain are Monday in eastern Iowa and Wednesday, when rainfall might be more widespread, Carter said. A weather phenomenon that caused stagnant, warm-and-dry conditions for weeks in Iowa is no longer affecting the state, she said.
June rainfall was significantly deficient: Less than 3 inches was recorded on average statewide, which is about 55% of what is normally expected.
“June is typically the wettest month of the year, so to have just a bit over half the normal rainfall for that month is troubling,” said Tim Hall, coordinator of hydrology resources for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “July and August still have the potential for good rainfall, but monthly averages for moisture continue to decline throughout summer and fall, so the opportunities for getting out of drought this year become more limited as time passes.”
Severe drought or worse is still present in about 44% of the state, and there are areas of extreme drought — the second-worst classification denoted by the Drought Monitor — in far western and southern Iowa.
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