(Radio Iowa) – It wasn’t exactly a downpour but it was better than a sprinkle, as parts of Iowa saw measurable rainfall early this (Tuesday) morning for the first time in a long time. Meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff, at the National Weather Service, says some precipitation is better than none, especially with about three-quarters of the state in moderate to extreme drought. “It certainly won’t be a drought buster,” Hagenhoff says, “but any kind of rain that we can see here is certainly a welcome sight.” In most areas of Iowa, the rain came well before dawn and lasted less than a half hour in many locations.

Hagenhoff says, “It looks like things have been light, generally under a 10th of an inch for most of the area, from western into central Iowa.” If you were holding off on washing your car until after the rain, you might want to wait until Friday. “We are looking at another chance of rain coming up on Thursday afternoon, maybe into Thursday night as well,” she says. “The location is a little uncertain at the moment, but it does look like generally central to eastern Iowa will be the big winners on that.”

Far from a ‘drought buster,’ but parts of Iowa see soaking rainfall (RI photo)

The latest U-S Drought Monitor map shows more than 97-percent of the state with at least abnormally dry conditions or some level of drought, and less than two-and-a-half percent in the normal range.