(Des Moines) A run of mostly rain-free days across Iowa is seeing a slight expansion in drought and near-drought conditions.
This week’s National Drought Monitor map shows an increase in abnormally dry conditions over Western and Northwest Iowa. There’s also a slight increase in moderate drought in Northwest Iowa. The forecast calls for increasing chances of rain and a chance of severe weather over much of Iowa starting today and continuing through the weekend.
Twenty-three counties in northwest and west-central Iowa are listed as abnormally dry. The Counties of Lyon, Sioux, Plymouth, and a small portion of Woodbury County are listed in the D1 (moderate drought category).
Beginning in March, conditions in northwestern Iowa had deteriorated as D1 – Moderate Drought areas returned. The Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) Seasonal Drought Outlook suggests that the current area of drought in northwest Iowa will likely persist through July.
For May, the outlook points toward a drier month, with below-normal precipitation expected across Iowa and typical temperatures predicted statewide.
