According to the latest Water Summary Update, Iowa has returned to normal hydrologic conditions after four years of below-normal rainfall and drought conditions. The state had not been free from any drought designation by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) since June 2020. May’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 7.51 inches, 2.67 inches above normal. This significant rainfall improved streamflow and soil moisture conditions across Iowa, with March, April, and May ranking among the top ten wettest spring months on record. The average statewide temperature in May was 50.7 degrees, just over two degrees above normal. Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Hydrology Resources Coordinator Tim Hall says, “The above normal rainfall in May was significant, and it helped to push drought conditions out of the state. Six of the last eight months have been wetter than normal, and that is exactly the trend we have been waiting to see. If we continue to see normal rainfall in the months ahead, we will be in great shape this year, with soil moisture and streamflow returning to normal levels.” The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department. A link to the May water summary update is included with this story on our website.
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