Above-average rainfall in 2024 brought significant relief to Iowa’s prolonged drought conditions, according to the latest Water Summary Update from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The state recorded an annual average precipitation of 36.87 inches, 1.32 inches above normal. Eight months of 2024 measured above-average rainfall, ending the 204 consecutive weeks of drought conditions appearing somewhere in Iowa. This streak was the longest drought since the 1950s. DNR Environmental Specialist Jessica Reese McIntyre says, “The dry start to 2024 subsided after the state experienced above-average rainfalls throughout the year. Initial concerns for hydrologic conditions eased and led to the removal of the Iowa Drought Plan Drought Watch designation state-wide for six months out of the year. The state saw above-average rainfall for 2024, but National Weather Service outlooks are stable. Continued normal or above normal precipitation in January and February is important to maintain our average conditions in the winter months.” While much of Iowa was drought-free midyear, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that some areas, particularly northwest Iowa, ended 2024 in severe drought. Most of the listening area remains in the classification of D1, or moderate drought. The Water Summary Update is prepared monthly 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 full report is included below.
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