Ongoing Iowa Mega-Drought Worst In Over 70 Years!

What's going to happen now that Iowa is in the middle of a Mega-Drought with conditions not seen in a lifetime?

The current debilitating drought is of a magnitude that Iowa hasn't seen in decades...not since the 1950's to be exact.

Dry conditions may not be as noticeable in the middle of an Iowa winter but this lack of seasonal precipitation is a big deal. 

Abnormally dry, drought conditions have been persisting for over 188 weeks in a row in parts of Iowa.

Of course, the situation has not reached anything close to the dust bowl day of the "Dirty 30s".

According to the Iowa DNR, November and December didn't provide much-needed relief from the drought situation in the state.

Hydrology Resources Coordinator for the Iowa DNR, Tim Hall says...“At this point, any moisture we get in the state will be helpful.

With conditions as dry as they are coming out of 2023 there is a real concern for hydrologic conditions moving into 2024.

Low stream flows and dry soil conditions could lead to water supply challenges in the coming year.”

Things don't look very good for busting the drought conditions as strong El Niño conditions are projected to persist through winter.

Iowa State Climatologist, Dr. Justin Glisan stated... “In an El Niño winter, precipitation can be highly variable. Warmer than normal temperatures could result in more rain than snow during the winter months.”

The Top 5 agricultural commodities in Iowa include corn, hogs, soybeans, cattle, and chicken eggs which of course are all affected by lack of water.