The rains over the last two weeks in Iowa have led to substantial improvements to the state’s drought conditions. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor data released yesterday (Thursday), no area in western Iowa is classified worse than D1, or moderate drought. Audubon, Guthrie, and Greene Counties all fall under the D1 category. About two-thirds of Carroll County fell into D1, with the northwestern third landing in the D0, or abnormally dry. Calhoun County showed similar conditions. An estimated three-quarters of Sac County has no drought rating, with the areas along the border with Calhoun County in D0. Overall in Iowa, no area of the state is in D4 or exceptional drought. Just 2.44 percent is in extreme drought and only in northeastern and eastern Iowa. About 19.84 percent of the state is in the severe drought category, 27.61 percent in moderate drought, 20 percent in abnormally dry, and the remaining 30.11 percent in no drought warning. Compare those figures to three months ago, when nearly 80 percent of the state was classified as moderate drought or worse. A link to the latest Iowa Drought Monitor data is included below.
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