Lincoln, NE (KICD)– Drought conditions appear to be improving over several parts of Iowa including the local area.

The latest Drought Monitor released Thursday morning by the USDA show most of Northwest Iowa being upgraded from a D1 Moderate Drought to abnormally dry with the exception of far eastern sections of Palo Alto and Pocahontas County which remain in the previous category.

Others area of the state seeing improvement since last week are sections of North Central Iowa, including Kossuth, Winnebago and Hancock Counties have graduated from a severe drought to moderate while much of Jackson, Clinton and Scott Counties in Eastern Iowa are now completely drought free.

Overall, Iowa still has 98.2 percent of land area at least abnormally dry with 81 percent in some sort of a drought which down from more than 94 percent a week ago.

The southern tier of counties in Southwestern Minnesota is almost completely abnormally dry as well with the exception of Western Nobles County being an a moderate drought and Rock County still considered to be in a D2 Severe Drought.