Recent snowfall has not made any impact on the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for Iowa in north central and northeast Iowa.
Despite the snow, based on precipitation through 7 am Tuesday, February 18th, all of north central and northeast Iowa remain rated in the D1 category for moderate drought. That area includes all of Allamakee, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Grundy, Hancock, Hardin, Kossuth, Mitchell, Winnebago and Worth counties.
A little over half of Iowa is rated in moderate drought, with the vast majority of those counties in the northern half of the state. About a third of the state is rated D0 for abnormally dry, with a southern section of the state drought-free.
A small pocket of D2/severe drought exists across sections of Sioux, Plymouth and Woodbury in northwest Iowa.
*The next Drought Monitor will be released Thursday (02.27) based on a precipitation reports compiled through 7 a.m. Tuesday (02.25).
