Hopes raised in January for a turnaround in the state drought situation went away as February turned dry. Iowa D-N-R Hydrologist, Tim Hall says the latest Drought Monitor Report shows that.
He says that runs from Linn and Benton County north all the way up to the Minnesota border. And 56 percent of the state is rated in severe drought.
He says the January snow was good, but when it melted in February, it illustrated how dry things are.
Hall says the dry soil sucked up most of the snow melt and there was not a lot left to refill empty streams and rivers.
The snow came in January which was one inch above normal for precipitation. But Hall says all that surplus has gone away in what may end up being the driest February on record.
He says we typically get a lot more rain in the spring months, and we’ll need that to work toward getting rid of the drought.
