Drought Conditions Improve in Iowa, Worsen Across Midwest

(Ames, IA) — The new map from the US Drought Monitor shows soil conditions in Iowa are improving, slightly, thanks to rain and snow in the past week. The broader picture for the Midwest is worsening, however, with drought conditions expanding over much of the Northern Plains. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the USDA’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says some crops in the region are already stressed, winter wheat in particular. He also says the worst of the drought is isolated in far west-central Iowa. The drought monitor map shows roughly 41 Iowa counties are in the category of “abnormally dry,” improving from 45 counties last week.