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Parts of Northeast Iowa Now in Moderate Drought

Portions of seven northeast Iowa counties fall under the “moderate drought” category in the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report for Iowa.

Based on precipitation, or lack thereof, through 7 am Tuesday, almost all of Bremer County, with the exception of the northwest corner near Floyd County, was in the D2/moderate drought category. Also considered D2 is the southwestern half of Fayette County, southeast corners of Chickasaw and Butler counties, and the northern two-thirds of Black Hawk County.  Sections of Buchanan and Grundy counties are also in moderate drought.

The latest Drought Monitor puts the southern two-thirds of Floyd and Chickasaw counties in the D1/abnormally dry category, along with the southern half of Cerro Gordo County, much of Butler County and all of Franklin County. About a third of Fayette County and a small area of Winneshiek County are also considered abnormally dry.

While there has been some shower activity in north and northeast Iowa the past couple of days, rain in May varied widely across the region. According to the National Weather Service in Lacrosse, precipitation totals ranged from 0.93 inches near Oelwein to 7.71 inches in Osage. For many, precipitation totals were 25 to 50 percent of normal, resulting in rain deficits of two-to-four inches below normal. Even larger precipitation deficits of four-to-six inches have developed since April 1st in Chickasaw and Fayette counties.

 

Mark Pitz

News Director/Weekdays 10am to 2pm on 95.9 KCHA
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