Driftless area in historic drought status

How about that weather?

We joke about living in this part of the world, “You don’t like the weather? Just wait, it will change.” And change it did.

Winneshiek, Allamakee and Howard Counties officially hit a D4, or exceptional, drought as of Sept. 19, the first time Winneshiek County has been added to the D4 category since at least 2012. This is the highest category of drought used in the U.S. 

Due to the lack of precipitation, a burn ban was in effect across the Driftless area Sept. 8-26, when it was lifted due to increased ground moisture from recent rains.

According to the National Weather Service, from Sept. 20-26 most areas saw anywhere from 1-3 inches of rain. There were even some locations in central Wisconsin and northeast Iowa that received around 3-4 inches of rain. The highest rainfall totals were found near Neillsville, Wis. (5.99 inches), Ionia, Iowa (5.44 inches); and Waukon (5.18 inches). During this time, typically nine-tenths of an inch of rain falls. This rain resulted in a 1 to 2-category improvement in the drought across the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Currently, there is still a category D3, extreme, drought in Allamakee, Chickasaw, Fayette, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell and Winneshiek counties.

Since April 1, precipitation deficits range from 9-13 inches below normal across most of the Iowa Driftless Region, even with the recent rains. Northern portions of Houston and Fillmore counties in Minnesota are experiencing moderate to severe drought.

The rain in the Upper Mississippi Valley improved soil moisture, but not by much. In Iowa, 73 percent of the topsoil moisture was still short to very short, 70 percent in Minnesota and 60 percent in Wisconsin.

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