July, August were wettest months of 2016 in Iowa

DES MOINES - July and August were the two wettest months of 2016, contributing to improved hydrologic condition in Iowa, state officials said this week.

The National Drought Monitor - a report is prepared by the technical staff at the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Weather Service and state's departments of natural resources, homeland security and emergency management, and agriculture and land stewardship - has removed areas of moderate drought from Iowa, and less than 6 percent of the state is shown as 'abnormally dry” - continuing the improvement that been occurring over the last several weeks.

The northeast and northwest corners of the state experienced very different conditions over the past two weeks. Decorah received nearly a foot of rain, while counties in the northwest corner of the state received less than half the normal rainfall for this period.

Most of Iowa recorded above normal precipitation over the two weeks ending Tuesday. Rain totals reached 8.46 inches five miles southeast of Decorah on Aug. 23. Rain totals for the two-week period varied from 0.28 inches at Akron to 11.51 inches southeast of Decorah.

The statewide average precipitation was 2.65 inches, while normal for the period is 1.85 inches.

Streamflow conditions remain above normal for most of the state. Streams in the northeast, east and southeast portions of the state have moved into above normal or even high conditions.

A review of Iowa's water resource trends can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate