October rains relieve some of Iowa’s drought — but not all of it

After seven months straight of drier-than-average conditions, Iowa saw its first above-normal rainfall in October. But it wasn’t enough to rid the state of extreme drought conditions.

“Despite the above-normal rainfall in October, the state is still more than 7 inches short of moisture for this year, which is concerning as we wind down the fall and head into the winter months,” Tim Hall, the DNR’s Hydrology Resources Coordinator, said in a Thursday news release.

“We continue to need normal to above-normal rainfall across nearly all of the state to get us into better shape headed into next spring.

Statewide, the average precipitation in October was 3.12 inches, or 0.43 inches above normal.

October started with 3 percent of Iowa — including Linn and Benton counties — in exceptional drought, the most severe drought classification of the U.S. Drought Monitor. More than two-thirds of the state was experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought. Dry conditions plagued all of Iowa.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report, released Thursday, shows improvements into November.

Heavy October rainfall brought relief to the northwest corner of the state, improving it to “normal” conditions under the Iowa Drought Plan and to the lowest drought classification on the U.S. Drought Monitor. The area of exceptional drought in Eastern Iowa dissipated by mid-October.

About 11 percent of the state dropped from severe drought to abnormally dry conditions. About 2 percent of the state fell out of any drought classification altogether in eastern Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties.

But drought conditions linger.

More than half the state is still experiencing severe or extreme drought, particularly in Eastern Iowa. Southwest Iowa deteriorated into moderate and severe drought under the U.S. Drought Monitor designations.

Harvest

Despite challenges from another drought year, statewide harvest levels are forecast to be similar to last year’s.

Corn harvest had reached 89 percent completion by Monday. Iowa’s production is forecast at 2.52 billion bushels, according to the latest USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service report.

Based on Nov. 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 200 bushels per acre — up 1 bushel per acre from Oct. 1 forecasts but unchanged from last year.

Soybean harvest was nearly complete by Monday, coming in at 97 percent. Iowa’s production is forecast at 572 million bushels.

The yield is forecast at 58 bushels per acre, unchanged from the October forecast but down 0.5 bushels per acre from 2022.

Agronomists are reporting variable yields around the state, depending on local drought conditions.

In east-central Iowa, which was hardest hit by drought this year, farmers have been seeing lower than normal yields.

Rebecca Vittetoe, a field agronomist for the east-central part of the state, told The Gazette that she’d heard corn yields in the region were varying from 130 bushels per acre to more than 200. Farmers elsewhere in the state have reported higher yields than expected despite the drought.

Actual yield figures won’t be finalized for months.

Brittney J. Miller is the Energy & Environment Reporter for The Gazette and a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; brittney.miller@thegazette.com