(Des Moines) — The U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday showed some improvement for areas in the southern part of the Iowa, while other areas continue to deal with and worry about, drought conditions. State Climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan says many counties in southern Iowa were taken out of the Abnormally Dry (D-0) category. Currently, all drought coverage for Iowa is either in central or northern Iowa. He cited rainfall totals of one-to three-inches as the reason why southern area was removed from the D-0 category.

Glisan says Iowa farmers have had a great window to get crops planted at a solid pace, although there is concern for growers in northwest Iowa, specifically, where drought conditions have reached the D-2 (severe) level. He said “We would need normal and above-average rainfall moving forward to really keep drought conditions status quo, or to start chipping away at those precipitation deficits.”

The good news for the coming week, according to Glisan, is that rain and warmer conditions are in the forecast for much of the Iowa.