Drought conditions worsen in southern Iowa

The dryness of southern Iowa continues to expand with little chance for rain in the next 10 days.

The U.S. Drought Monitor’s report on Thursday shows that moderate drought now stretches entirely from the state’s western border to its eastern border and that severe drought has gripped central portions of that area.

Less than a third of southern Iowa has sufficient moisture for crops, according to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report, a reversal from June when nearly all of that region’s topsoil and subsoil had adequate or surplus moisture.

And there’s little rainfall expected for the area in the next week.

“Unfortunately, it looks like, for the most part, the northeast half of the state is looking to have the best chances for rain over the next 10 days,” said Rod Donavon, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “It’s possible we could get some storms across some of those drought regions, but the overall chances for heavier rainfall is low.”

The worst dryness is still in northwest Iowa near Sioux City, but that area’s pocket of extreme drought rescinded slightly in the past week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Overall, the state is drier than it’s been since March, which preceded a wet April that soaked much of the state.

The drought has led to a decline of crop conditions during a crucial period of development.