DES MOINES – Iowa experienced significantly improved conditions through April, according to the latest Water Summary Update.
A particularly wet April brought relief to a large portion of the state. While southeastern Iowa saw significant improvement, dry conditions continue to linger in the northwestern part of the state. According to the Iowa Drought Plan, most drought regions in the state are designated as having normal drought conditions, except for some areas in northwest Iowa, which remain under a drought watch.
Iowa’s preliminary statewide precipitation for April totaled 5.66 inches, or 1.99 inches above normal. This marks the 6th wettest April on record for the state. Most of the southeastern half of Iowa reported at least five inches of precipitation, while only a small swath of northwestern Iowa reported below-normal totals. Statewide temperatures averaged 52.3 degrees, which is 3.7 degrees above normal. This ranks as the 25th warmest April in 154 years of observations, with the warmest conditions found across southern Iowa.
Streamflow levels have returned to largely normal and above-normal conditions across much of the state, though some isolated areas in the south and east remain below normal. Recent precipitation also helped increase the saturation of the upper soil layers across most of Iowa, except for the northwest, where values remain lower.
According to the current U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), roughly ten percent of the state is experiencing abnormally dry conditions or worse, with two percent of Iowa carrying a moderate or severe drought designation. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for May indicates a potential for below-normal precipitation across Iowa. The seasonal outlook through July suggests that while most of the state is expected to remain drought-free, drought conditions in the far northwestern corner are likely to persist.
“A very wet April provided continued relief to most of the state, ranking as one of our wettest on record. While we are seeing a trend of improvement and most regions are back to normal designations, we are keeping a close eye on northwest Iowa, where a drought watch remains in effect and conditions are expected to persist through the 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.