KDSN Radio

Heavy rains bring improvement to Iowa’s soil moisture levels

The new map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows soil moisture conditions in Iowa are improving. Iowa’s seen a deluge of severe weather in the past week, with some areas of the state reporting more than four inches of rain in a single day. The map now shows about 22-percent of the state is abnormally dry, and that’s completely in the northwestern quarter of the state.

Only four counties in the far northwest are in moderate drought, and that’s a little over two-percent of the state, while very small sections of Lyon and Plymouth counties are in severe drought. Overall, almost 25-percent of Iowa is either abnormally dry or in some level of drought, versus 62-percent three months ago.