When I went to leave for work this morning, I noticed something I hadn't seen in awhile. The pavement was wet. So was my car! What was this strange substance making everything wet? It was rain, and the state of Iowa could use a lot more in the coming days and weeks. The weekly report on drought conditions show that nearly half the state is experiencing some sort of drought.

According to Drought.gov, over 45% of the state of Iowa is at least abnormally dry. This includes much of Eastern Iowa. If your lawn looks anything like mine you could probably have guessed this. This range of drought slows the growing of grass and crops, but the damage isn't permanent. Things go downhill from there, however. Over 18% of the state is categorized as in a moderate drought. Most of this is in Western Iowa. In this zone there is damage to crops and some water shortages.

via Drought.gov
via Drought.gov
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There is also a larger swath of Western Iowa that is included in severe and extreme drought conditions. These areas are seeing widespread crop loss and water shortages. Water restrictions have also most likely been put into place as well. It's only a small percentage of the state, but if the rain doesn't come, you can bet that it will grow in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, the forecast doesn't look like it's going to cooperate. There is a 30% chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday and another slight chance midweek. Our lawns and crops could sure use it.

 

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