Drought Information Statement for Northeast IA, Southeast MN, & Western, WI Valid February 20, 2025 Issued By: WFO La Crosse, WI Contact Information: w-arx.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated Thursday, March 6, 2024. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ARX/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/ for regional drought status updates. Drought & Dryness Continues Drought intensity and extent... Moderate Drought (D1) conditions continues in northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota. Abnormally Dry (D0) & Moderate Drought (D1) conditions continue in western Wisconsin. Recent Change in Drought Intensity... During the past 2-weeks, there has been no change in the abnormally dry (D0) and moderate (D1) drought areas. Precipitation... From December through mid-February, precipitation totals ranged from 1.29" near Osage, IA to 3.35" near Warrens, WI. Precipitation anomalies ranged from a 1/2" to 2 1/2" drier than normal. Temperature... During the past week (February 14-20) temperatures averaged well-below normal (14 to 22°F below normal) across the Upper Mississippi River Valley. During the past 30 days, temperature departures ranged from 3°F colder than normal to 3°F warmer than normal. Summary of Impacts... Hydrologic Impacts There are no known impacts at this time. Agricultural Impacts There are no known impacts at this time. Fire Hazard Impacts As of the morning of February 18, fire danger remained low (fires are not easily started) across the Driftless Area. Other Impacts There are no known impacts at this time. Mitigation Actions No known actions are taking place in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts... From September 1 through November 30 (meteorological autumn), precipitation totals ranged from 3.58" near Oelwein, IA to 11.16" near Hillsboro, WI. Precipitation anomalies ranged from 4" drier than normal to 1" wetter than normal. During this same time period, temperatures anomalies ranged from 3 to 5°F warmer than normal. This dryness continued into meteorological winter. From December through mid-February, precipitation totals ranged from 1.29" near Osage, IA to 3.35" near Warrens, WI. Precipitation anomalies ranged from a 1/2" to 2 1/2" drier than normal. As of the morning of February 6, rivers and stream flows were near normal in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and from southwest into central Wisconsin. Fire Hazard Impacts... As of the morning of February 18, 2025, fire danger remained low (fires are not easily started) across the Driftless Area. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast... From February 20 through February 27, the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) is forecasting up to a tenth of an inch. Normal precipitation is around 1/4” for this time period. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook... From February 28 through March 6, rapid onset drought (at least a 2-category degradation) is not expected in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and from southwest into central Wisconsin. Long-Range Outlooks... From March through May, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has equal chances of warmer-, near-, and colder-than-normal for the Upper Mississippi River Valley. The odds are tilted to wetter-than-normal (33 to 40%) east of an Eau Claire, WI to New Hampton, IA line. Drought Outlook... The drought is expected to either improve or end by the end of May east of Highway 52 and persist across the remainder of the area.