Washington DC (northwestiowanow.com) — The drought spread in Iowa this week according to the Thursday update of the national monitor. Here in the KICD Broadcast area there was very little change with all of Osecola and Dickinson Counties, the Northwest half of Emmet County, and Northern reaches of O’Brien and Clay Counties remaining in the “Severe” Drought category. The remainder of the area is still considered to be in “Moderate” Drought.

The big change is along the Missouri border where all or portions of six counties that were drought free last week are now classified as “Abnormally Dry”.

Just a little over nineteen percent of the state is considered to be in Severe Drought this week, up from just under sixteen percent on October 15th. Most of that change was in Northeast Iowa.