Drought remains as winter approaches

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says November of this year was one of the driest on record, returning much of the state to familiar drought conditions seen in the spring and summer, even after an encouragingly rainy October.

The DNR’s weekly EcoNewsWire on Thursday said last month’s preliminary average precipitation total was just 0.38 inches, 1.44 fewer inches than normal.

“We had hoped that November would continue the wetter-than-normal conditions from October, but unfortunately just the opposite happened,” said Tim Hall, the DNR’s hydrology resources coordinator, in a statement through the newsletter. “A return to below-normal rainfall is not what we needed. Some locations in the state received no rain at all in November, and there were no locations that came close to normal rainfall for the month.”

Hall added that the clock was ticking to replenish degrading soil conditions as cold weather creeps in.

“As we wind down the fall and head into the winter months we need normal to above-normal rainfall,” he said. “Once the ground freezes up, we have to wait for spring rains.”

Large parts of Washington, (93%) Henry, (63%) and Jefferson (100%) counties face “extreme dry” conditions as of Dec. 7 according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. It’s the second-worst designation available from the organization, which said over 2.6 million Iowans lived in a drought area as of Dec. 7.

The DNR’s monthly Water Summary Update, also released on Thursday, moved Southeast Iowa’s region of the state from a drought watch to a drought warning as rainfall and stream flows showed low numbers.

The agency offered little hope for a change for the conditions in the near future.

"The Iowa Drought Team continues to closely monitor conditions as the state moves through fall and into winter,“ the document said. ”Typically, drought conditions do not change significantly over the winter months.“

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com