(Des Moines) The U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday shows some improvement across Iowa, but overall, abnormally dry conditions persist over much of the state.
Alex Krull, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, says precipitation deficits still grip much of the state, with drought concerns lingering into late summer. “Over the next eight to 14-days, we’re expecting above-normal temperatures, especially as we head into the weekend,” said Krull. “The temperature is forecast to reach the mid-90’s with heat index values over 100-degrees. With that, we are expecting below normal precipitation over the next eight to 14- days, which will not help matters.”
Northern Iowa still suffers from severe drought, extreme northwest Iowa has improved from extreme drought to moderate drought, Crawford, Shelby, Cass, the southwest corner of Audub0n, Adair, Guthrie, eastern Pottawattamie, and Montgomery counties are abnormally dry, with the southern part of the state listed as normal.
