Extreme Drought Continues to Blanket Most of Northeast Iowa

Most of northeast Iowa remains blanketed by extreme drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for Iowa.

Based on precipitation through 7 am Tuesday, September 5th, the majority of northeast Iowa is still in the D3/extreme drought category. All of Chickasaw, Bremer, Howard, Winneshiek and Allamakee counties remain in extreme drought, along with almost all of Floyd, Butler, Mitchell and Black Hawk counties. About two-thirds of Franklin, Fayette and Cerro Gordo counties, plus the northeast third of Worth County also rated D3 for extreme drought. 

The Drought Monitor also shows the area of extreme drought has expanded into Hancock and Wright counties in north central Iowa, as well Grundy, Buchanan, and Clayton counties in northeast Iowa. Extreme drought has also pushed south of the area and into east central Iowa.

The National Weather Service (NWS) says sections of Mower and Freeborn counties in southern Minnesota have deteriorated into exceptional/D4 drought, the worst category of drought.