(Area) This U.S. Drought Monitor saw an intensification of drought across parts of western Iowa as hot and dry conditions persisted with a historic heatwave currently gripping much of the region.
Moderate Drought (D1) and Severe Drought (D2) expanded in western and northeastern Iowa in response to short-term precipitation deficits during the past 60-day period, dry soils, and agricultural impacts including reports of supplemental feeding from deteriorating pasture conditions, water hauling, and reductions in corn yields. Carroll and Audubon counties, most of Guthrie County and the eastern edges of Shelby and Crawford Counties, and the northern edge of Cass County are all under extreme drought conditions. Dry conditions persist with the exception of the bottom tier of counties in southwest Iowa.
Some improvements were made to areas of Moderate Drought (D1) in Ohio in response to rainfall events during the past several weeks. In southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin, short-term dryness (past 60 days) and dry soils led to the introduction of areas of Moderate Drought (D1).
The heaviest precipitation was observed in central Minnesota (3-to-5 inch accumulations) while the rest of the region was generally dry with the exception of isolated areas in southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Ohio that received modest accumulations of an inch or less rainfall.
The forecast calls for temperatures well into the nineties through Friday.
