While we did see some good rains earlier this week, drought conditions continue to worsen in Iowa. It doesn?t help that much of the western part of the state didn?t see much of that rain, even though that?s the area that needed it the most. Iowa State Climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan talked about the data from this week?s U.S. Drought Monitor.
Before the cooler and wetter weather came in, strong winds tore across the state. With such dry conditions, the risk for field fires was huge- in fact, Montgomery County saw a fire that quickly stretched over several miles. Glisan said we will probably see more windy days as we move forward since November is projected to have some unseasonably high temperatures.
Even with those rainfalls we saw, the entire state is still at a moisture deficit. Glisan said we still need to see a lot of consistent rains before these drought conditions go away.
Glisan added that, while some people reported seeing higher levels in streams, much of that water was quickly absorbed into the ground after it rained.
Glisan said they?re also keeping an eye on the effects we could see from the La Nina weather pattern, which will be sticking around for a third consecutive winter.
For more information, visit https://iowaagriculture.gov/climatology-bureau.
