(Ames, IA) — While parts of Iowa saw up to two inches of rain on Monday, it may be too little, too late for many of the crops that have been critically damaged by the long string of hot, dry days. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says there are big differences in corn crop conditions across the region, especially compared to areas in northwest Iowa that are in extreme drought. While any more rain that falls on Iowa this week may green up our lawns a bit, Todey says precipitation at this stage on the calendar will be of limited help to farmers. The latest map from the U-S Drought Monitor shows moderate drought now stretches all the way from Iowa’s eastern border to the western border and that about 64 of the state’s 99 counties are in some form of drought. The climate outlooks show above-normal temperatures and below-normal rain for most of the region through much of September.
Wednesday Morning Learfield News Data Wire
