Washington DC (Nortwestiowanow.com) — The area of Moderate Drought has crept over a little more of the KICD Broadcast area in Thursday’s update of the USDA Drought Monitor.
Nearly 100 percent of Palo Alto County and all but Southeast Cherokee County have joined Dickinson, Clay, Emmet, O’Brien, Osceola, and Buena Vista Counties in that D-1 category. The Northwest third of Pocahontas County is now also in D-1 moderate drought.
The area classified as abnormally dry also continues to expand in Northwest and North Central Iowa.
Statewide things actually improved with 46 percent of Iowa is now drought free, up from 39 percent one week ago; 17 percent is abnormally dry, down 5 percent; 35 percent is in Moderate drought, down 2 percent; and 2 percent – all in Southeast Iowa – remains classified as D-2 Severe Drought.
Nationwide the percentages changed verry little week over week. About a half percent of the country is in Exceptional drought, 7 percent extreme, 18 percent severe, 30 percent moderate, and 21 percent abnormally dry. 24 percent of the country is normal.