Looking for moisture, and some should be coming. Even with the rainfall that has occurred across much of Iowa recently, the latest Drought Monitor shows virtually no change with over 98% of the state still in some form of drought designation. However, USDA’s Midwest Climate Hub Director, Dennis Todey, based at ISU, says seasonally we should see more precipitation.
“By the time you get around to the fall, crops will stop growing, plants have stopped using water, out of the soil,” Todey said. “We don’t get as much rainfall, or as much total precipitation in the fall as we do during the summer. But on the offside, we don’t have plants drawing it out of the soil, so this is the time for soil moisture recharge. We typically get a couple of those bigger systems that drop widespread precipitation, and we haven’t had those yet.”
Now in regard to what has fallen, he says it’s definitely a case of the haves versus the have-nots.
“Parts of Wisconsin received some pretty good rainfalls over the last few weeks,” Todey said. “Minnesota, Iowa, parts of the Dakotas, and east central Iowa received some, and parts of Illinois. But when you get down into central to southern Iowa, they received not as much. Parts of Illinois have missed out. Parts of Wisconsin could use some rainfall too, so it’s kind of spotty.”
What has been a surprise, he adds, was the outbreak of cold these past few days, particularly with no transition and how cold it did get and for how long. Fortunately, he is predicting moderation into this weekend and next week.
