No Extreme Drought in North Iowa for Second Week in a Row

For the second week in a row, the U.S. Drought Monitor for Iowa does not rate any area of north/northeast Iowa in extreme drought condition.

Based on precipitation through 7 am Tuesday, May 14, all of Floyd, Chickasaw, Bremer, Fayette and Buchanan counties were rated in the D2/severe drought category.

Most of Butler and Mitchell counties also remain in severe drought while Franklin, Cerrod Gordo, Howard and Worth counties are split almost evenly between sections of severe drought and D1/moderate drought. 

The northeast third of Winneshiek County and northern three-quarters of Allamakee County are still in the best shape, rated in D0/abnormally dry.

Almost all of the remaining drought in Iowa resides in the northeast quadrant of the state.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state averaged 1.51 inches of rain last week. That’s about 50% more than is typically expected.

The USDA adds that about 92% of the topsoil in farm fields has adequate or surplus moisture for growing crops About 79% of the fields’ subsoil is similarly saturated.

Most of the state is expected to get at least an inch of rainfall in the next week, according to the National Weather Service. Those totals might exceed two inches in parts of northern and eastern Iowa.