The new map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows worsening conditions across Iowa.
Only five percent of the state is shown as having normal conditions, all in the southeast, while drought gained more ground practically everywhere else. Parts of eastern and far southwestern Iowa are in the abnormally dry category, but the majority of the state’s in drought now.
A week ago, 56% of Iowa was in moderate to severe drought, now, it’s 76%. Severe drought covers about 40 of the state’s 99 counties, including virtually all of northern Iowa and much of the central region.