November marked one of the driest months on record for Iowa

November was one of the driest months on record in Iowa, according to preliminary numbers from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The average statewide precipitation was just 0.38 inches — 1.44 inches below normal. It marked the eighth month of the year with below-normal precipitation.

“Some locations in the state received no rain at all in November, and there were no locations that came close to normal rainfall for the month,” said Tim Hall, the Iowa DNR Hydrology Resources Coordinator, in a Wednesday news release.

The lack of precipitation pushed the state further into drought — particularly the southern half, which has degraded to a “drought warning” rating under the Iowa Drought Plan. Most of the northern half of Iowa currently has a “drought watch” rating, except for the northwest corner, which has a “normal” rating, according to a Thursday Iowa DNR Water Summary Update.

A Thursday U.S. Drought Monitor report shows nearly all of the state in some form of dryness or drought — a constant throughout November. Almost two-thirds are swathed in either extreme or severe drought. The worst conditions cover most of Eastern Iowa.

Most streams have below-normal flow, with a few areas showing much below-normal conditions. Since October, portions of the Upper Iowa River have moved into below-normal conditions; the middle portions of the Iowa River have moved into much below-normal conditions. Soil moisture conditions degraded across much of Iowa.

After seven months straight of drier-than-average conditions, Iowa saw its first above-normal rainfall in October. Statewide, the average precipitation was 3.12 inches, or 0.43 inches above normal. Even so, precipitation from September to November totaled only 5.55 inches, which is 2.44 inches below normal.

Iowa’s year-to-date average precipitation is 25.4 inches — about 8 inches below normal.

“We had hoped that November would continue the wetter-than-normal conditions from October, but unfortunately just the opposite happened,” Hall said. “A return to below normal rainfall is not what we needed.”

Drought conditions don’t typically change significantly over the winter months, according to the water summary update. The next three months are normally the driest months of the year, spelling uncertainty for any drought recovery.

The latest Seasonal Drought Outlook issued by the Climate Prediction Center now shows all but the northwestern part of Iowa with a tendency to remain in drought through the winter months.

“As we wind down the fall and head into the winter months we need normal to above-normal rainfall,” Hall said. “Once the ground freezes up, we have to wait for spring rains.”

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