Drought Information Statement for Central Iowa 
Valid March, 14, 2024
Issued By:  NWS Des Moines
Contact Information:  nws.desmoines@noaa.gov
This product will be updated April 15, 2024 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.  

U.S. Drought Monitor
Much of the state remained unchanged although some degradation occurred in northwest Iowa.

Drought intensity and Extent
D3 (Extreme Drought):  Large portions of Northeast into East Central Iowa.
D2 (Severe Drought): Surrounds the D3 area and extends across much of Central and Southern Iowa to the west border.
D1 (Moderate Drought) and D0 (Abnormally Dry):  Most of the rest of the state not already covered by D2, D3 conditions.
A small portion of far east central Iowa has no drought conditions.

Recent Precipitation
30-day precipitation totals ending on March 13th were largely below normal with most areas over 50% below normal over the past month.   The southeast remains the wettest portion of the state and closest to normal since the middle of February.   

Summary of Impacts

Hydrologic Impacts: Many river basins across Iowa have below normal flows.

Agricultural Impacts: Agricultural impacts are minimal at this time due to dormant conditions.

Fire Hazard Impacts: Several burn bans remain in effect across Iowa.

Other Impacts: Most of Iowa is experiencing drought conditions and low streamflows.  Conditions are expected to persist into the early Spring. 

Seven Day Precipitation Forecast: Much of the precipitation indicated on this map is anticipated on March 14th.  Relatively little precipitation is expected on March 15th into the following week.    

Near Term Outlook:  The 8 to 14 day outlook indicates a higher probability of normal to below normal temperatures across Iowa as well as trending a bit above normal with regards to precipitation.

Drought Outlook: Drought conditions are expected to persist across Iowa through the end of March.