116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Despite rain, drought lingering in Iowa
Despite recent rainfall, about two-thirds of Iowa is now in extreme drought conditions, according to a new drought monitor map from the USDA.
The map released Thursday shows 67 percent of Iowa in extreme drought conditions, up from 62 percent last week.
The expanded drought conditions are despite some recent rainfalls in eastern Iowa. Cedar Rapids has recorded 3.55 inches of rain in August, the most since July of 2011, according to National Weather Service records. Iowa City has recorded 2.97 inches.
Still, the area is about 9 inches below normal rainfall since May. Some locations have also missed out on much of the recent rain. Burlington, for example, has only had .8 inches of rain in August, about 2 inches less than normal.
Drought conditions in Iowa as of Aug. 21 (red indicates extreme drought, orange indicates severe drought)
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