Key Points

·     Significant spring-time precipitation removed lingering drought concerns for most areas of the Upper Midwest that have been experiencing drought conditions since summer into the fall of 2021. 

 

·     Currently, only 2% of the region is impacted by drought, which is confined to western Iowa. While Iowa has recently seen some drought relief, moderate drought (D1) is still affecting 13% of the state, with severe drought (D2) affecting 2%.

 

·     Current impacts include below-normal streamflow, limited shallow groundwater supplies, and dry soils in western Iowa.

 

·     The region has been in a wet pattern recently, which could mean further improvement to drought conditions in the short term. 

 

·     However, the seasonal outlooks for May through July 2022 show a greater chance for hotter and drier conditions in the western portions of the Midwest, which is expected to lead to drought persistence in western Iowa, and could potentially lead to drought development across a majority of Iowa, as well as southern Minnesota and northern Missouri.

 

More Information

 

·     NIDIS and its partners will issue future updates as conditions evolve.

·     For more details on the current conditions, view the April 21 North Central Climate and Drought Outlook Webinar.

·     More local information is available from the following resources:

·     Your state climatologist

·     Your local National Weather Service office

·     For more information on Iowa, visit their Water Summary Update page.

·     To report or view local drought impact information:

·     Report your Drought Impacts through Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR): https://droughtimpacts.unl.edu/Tools/ConditionMonitoringObservations.aspx 

·     To view or submit reports in Montana, visit the Montana Drought Impact Reporter.

·     View CoCoRaHS Condition Monitoring reports.

·     The upcoming North Central U.S. Climate and Drought Summary & Outlook Webinars on May 19, 2022 will offer updated information about conditions, impacts, and outlooks.