DES MOINES – Recent rainfall improved drought conditions across the state, however, areas of northwest Iowa remain under a drought watch, according to the latest Water Summary Update.
Statewide precipitation for March totaled 1.97 inches, which is 0.02 inches below normal. This ranks as the 88th driest March in 154 years of records, with significant precipitation deficits of over an inch occurring in southern, eastern, and western Iowa. Temperatures were notably warm, averaging 42.6 degrees - 6.2 degrees above normal - tying for the 12th warmest March on record. A new statewide record high for the month was set in Little Sioux, which reached 97 degrees on March 21.
While the southeast saw improvement, a drought watch remains in effect for northwest Iowa as conditions there continue to deteriorate. According to the Iowa Drought Plan, drought regions across the rest of the state currently carry a normal designation, despite nearly half of Iowa being classified as abnormally dry or worse by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM).
Streamflow levels across much of the state have returned to largely normal or above-normal conditions for this time of year. Additionally, soil moisture levels show varying degrees of saturation across the state’s upper and lower soil layers.
The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for April indicates a trend toward a wetter and milder month, with likely above-normal precipitation and warmer-than-normal temperatures statewide. However, the Seasonal Drought Outlook suggests that while much of the state is expected to remain drought-free through June, existing drought conditions in far northwestern Iowa are likely to persist.
“Recent precipitation brought much-needed relief to southeastern Iowa, allowing us to remove the drought watch in that area. However, a drought watch continues in northwest Iowa, and the seasonal outlook suggests these dry conditions may persist through the start of summer,” said Jessica Reese McIntyre, DNR Environmental Specialist.
For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, visit
www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.
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 Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.