The continued rains created another improvement in this week’s U-S Drought Monitor report, with 88 percent of the state showing NO drought conditions. Jessica Reese McIntyre with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources keeps track of the numbers and says some stubborn areas of drought persist across the state.
Iowa had broken out of a three-year drought just about this time last year, and then the new year started out dry and never got better.
June started the turnaround that continued into July. McIntyre says northwest Iowa has probably seen one of the biggest turnarounds after seeing a big section of severe drought.
McIntyre issued a “drought watch” for that southwest areas. She says things are a lot better as we head into the last half of July compared to where we were in January.
She says continued wet condition through July could clear the drought all the way out of the state.
