Despite widespread rainfall last week, the majority of northeast Iowa remains in the “extreme drought†category in the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for Iowa.
Based on precipitation through 7 am Tuesday, October 17th, all of Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Howard, Fayette, Floyd, and Mitchell counties are still rated in the D3/extreme drought category.
Most of Butler, Cerro Gordo and Winneshiek counties, almost two-thirds of Franklin, about half of Worth and Clayton counties, and a third of Grundy County are also in extreme drought.
Almost all of Allamakee County and over half of Clayton County improved from extreme drought last week into the D2 or severe drought this week. This is the first Drought Monitor in three weeks in which no area in Iowa has been rated in D4/exceptional drought, the worst drought category possible. Â
The National Weather Service in La Crosse says, from October 11 through October 17, anywhere from one to nearly 3.25 inches of rain fell across northeast Iowa; resulting in a one – to two -category improvement in the drought situation in some areas.
Still, river flows range from below- to near-normal in parts of northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota. Among the lowest flows currently are the Cedar River at Charles City (36% of normal), and Little Cedar River near Ionia (22% of normal).
