(Des Moines) According to the latest U.S. drought monitor, western Iowa will head into spring with drier than normal subsoil moisture despite the heavy snowfall occurring over the past couple of months.
State Climatologist Justin Glisan says D3 conditions exist in northwest Iowa and D1 to D2 drought conditions continue to plague almost all of western Iowa. Glisan says precipitation deficits across the driest parts of the state range from 12-to-16 inches below average, dating back to the fall of 2019. “We have long-term precipitation deficits and need above 20-inches to replenish those subsoil profiles, especially in northwest Iowa,” said Glisan.
Glisan says the existing snowpack is not equivalent to water. “When taking a look at a liquid equivalent for snow, currently across the state, we have anywhere from six-to-12 inches of snow and higher amounts in specific spots in northern and eastern Iowa,” said Glisan. “The melted snow is equivalent to two-to-four inches of liquid water.”
On Friday, Justin Glisan will provide a spring weather outlook for the western region of the state.
