Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Drought conditions nonexistent in 3 area counties
O'Brien, Osceola and Plymouth counties were the only ones in Iowa listed as completely drought-free in last week's report by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The rest of northwest Iowa was considered "abnormally dry."
Drought map color index.
Pale is a good thing when it comes to the U.S. Drought Monitor's maps, and last week's was delightfully bland for O'Brien County.
The map released on April 4 showed O'Brien County as completely drought-free along with Osceola and Plymouth counties. Portions of other northwest Iowa counties were also listed as drought-free, while the remaining land mass was "abnormally dry."
The region was the best off in the state as far as precipitation levels go. According to the map, around 20 counties in northeast Iowa are still experiencing "extreme drought" in some form.
According to the latest water summary update by the Iowa DNR, March's preliminary precipitation was 2.50 inches, or 0.51 inches above normal. At the end of March, Iowa's Drought Plan showed overall conditions have improved in the state, with areas of northeast and southern Iowa maintaining in drought watch designation. Recent rainfall amounts indicate conditions may continue to improve throughout the spring.
March showed an average statewide temperature nearly 5 degrees above normal. Four of the last six months have been wetter than normal, which has led to improved streamflow and soil moisture. February was the second-driest on record.
While the latest report was positive, DNR Hydrology Resources Coordinator Tim Hall said the wet stuff needs to keep coming.
"March begins a stretch of normally wet months in Iowa, so a wetter-than-normal March is a good thing. Four years of drought will not be eliminated in just a month or two," he said. "March through June are critical months for water resources in Iowa, and a wetter-than-normal start to this time period is encouraging."
Over the past year, precipitation in Iowa stands at 7.5 inches below normal, and the state has now seen 204 consecutive weeks of dry or drought conditions. While recent rains have improved conditions, it will take a much longer period of above-normal rainfall in the state to eliminate drought conditions.
Average statewide precipitation levels usually increase from two inches in March to over five inches in June. The next few months are key to reducing drought conditions across Iowa. A dry spring would likely result in quickly deteriorating conditions and increased drought, Hall said.
