Statewide conditions improve, northwest Iowa remains under drought watch

DES MOINES — Recent rainfall has improved drought conditions across much of Iowa, but northwest portions of the state remain under a drought watch, according to the latest Water Summary Update released Thursday.

Statewide precipitation for March totaled 1.97 inches, just 0.02 inches below normal. Despite the near-average total, the month ranked as the 88th driest March in 154 years of recordkeeping, with precipitation deficits exceeding one inch in parts of southern, eastern and western Iowa.

March also brought unusually warm temperatures. The statewide average was 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 March 21 in Little Sioux, where temperatures reached 97 degrees.

While southeastern Iowa saw enough improvement to remove its drought watch designation, conditions in northwest Iowa continue to deteriorate. That region remains under a drought watch under the Iowa Drought Plan. Elsewhere, drought regions across the state are currently classified as normal, even as nearly half of Iowa is still considered abnormally dry or worse by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Hydrologic conditions have shown improvement in many areas. Streamflow levels across much of the state have returned to normal or above-normal levels for this time of year, and soil moisture conditions vary across both upper and lower soil layers.

Looking ahead, forecasters expect continued improvement for most of the state. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center outlook for April calls for above-normal precipitation and warmer-than-normal temperatures. The Seasonal Drought Outlook indicates most of Iowa should remain drought-free through June.

However, dry conditions in far northwest Iowa are expected to persist into early summer.

“Recent precipitation brought much-needed relief to southeastern Iowa, allowing us to remove the drought watch in that area,” said Jessica Reese McIntyre, DNR environmental specialist. “However, a drought watch continues in northwest Iowa, and the seasonal outlook suggests these dry conditions may persist through the start of summer.”

For more information and a full review of Iowa’s water resource trends, visit the Iowa DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.