DES MOINES, Iowa – Several inches of rain fell in the last week of October and into the first several days of November, causing drought conditions to drastically improve across Iowa.

At the end of October, large parts of the state were under moderate and severe drought. A portion of southern and central Iowa was under abnormally dry conditions.

The the rain arrived. In the span of time from October 29 to November 5, parts of the state (such as Poweshiek county) saw over five inches of rain! A large part of central Iowa received three inches of more. Northwest Iowa ended up drier overall, with just one to two inches falling across most areas.

Now, with this week’s drought update, part of southern Iowa is completely out of drought. Most of southern Iowa is under “abnormally dry” conditions. Northwest Iowa remains dry, in moderate and severe drought.

Drought conditions will likely continue to improve. The precipitation outlook shows elevated probabilities for most of the state seeing above average precipitation in the month of November. This will help soil moisture levels heading into the winter months and hopefully continue to decrease drought conditions!