(Radio Iowa) – The updated Iowa Drought Monitor shows 97 percent of the state is in drought or near-drought conditions. Much of the state is in severe or extreme drought. The area of extreme drought in eastern Iowa goes from the border with Minnesota to the Missouri border. It includes the northeast Iowa cities of Cresco, Waterloo and Cedar Rapids and the areas around Mount Pleasant, Bloomfield and Ottumwa in southeast Iowa. The area of exceptional drought also sweeps through central Iowa and over to Aububon and Cass Counties in western Iowa.

Iowa Drought Monitor map issued on 12/28/23 (Image courtesy of NOAA/NCEI)

There are only three areas of the state that aren’t in some level of drought or exceptionally dry conditions. One area is in the eastern edges of Jackson, Clinton and Scott Counties that abut the Mississippi River. The others are in northwest Iowa in the parts of Plymouth and Woodbury Counties that border the Missouri River as well as where the four corners of Cherokee, O’Brien, Clay and Buena Vista Counties meet.

Today: Increasing clouds, with a high near 36. North northwest wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Tonight: Cloudy, with a low around 26. North northwest wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. North northwest wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 29. Blustery.
New Year’s Day: Sunny, with a high near 29.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 37. Our Low this morning, was 28. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 44 and the Low was 30. The Record High on Dec. 28th was 65 in 1984, and the Record Low was -25 in 1924. Sunrise is 7:45. Sunset is 4:57.

Today: A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly between 3pm and 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 34. North wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. North wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Thursday: A slight chance of snow between noon and 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. North northwest wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. North northwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 20.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 37.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 33. Our Low was 28. We received .4″ of snow Tuesday into early this morning. The snow had a liquid value of .04″. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 35 and the Low was 17. The Record High on Dec. 27th was 65 in 1946, and the Record Low was -21 in 1924. Sunrise is 7:45. Sunset is 4:56.

Atlantic (KJAN), 1.49″

Massena, 1.52″

Elk Horn, 1.47″

New Market, 1.19″

Corning, 1.56

Harlan, 1.36

Red Oak, 1.19

Treynor, 1.20

Wiota, 1.68

Early this morning: Rain. Low around 34. Breezy, with a north wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Today: Rain, possibly mixing with freezing rain after 1pm, then gradually ending. Temperature falling to around 31 by 5pm. Breezy, with a north wind 13 to 16 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no ice accumulation expected.
Tonight: Cloudy, with a low around 25. West southwest wind around 11 mph becoming south after midnight.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. South wind 7 to 10 mph becoming east southeast in the afternoon. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. East wind 6 to 8 mph becoming north northeast after midnight.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 35.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 37.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 57. That broke the old record High of 55 set in 1893 & 1964! Our Low was 33. We received 1.49″ rain from 7-a.m. Sunday through 7-a.m. today. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 28 and the Low was -9. The Record High on Dec. 25th was 60 in 2019, and the Record Low was -20 in 1983. Sunrise is 7:44. Sunset is 4:55.

Today: Rain, mainly after 10am. Patchy fog between 11am and 1pm. High near 56. Breezy, with a south southeast wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tonight: Rain. Low around 34. West wind 11 to 15 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Christmas Day: Rain, possibly mixed with snow before 1pm, then rain likely, possibly mixed with freezing rain between 1pm and 4pm, then rain and snow likely, possibly mixed with freezing rain after 4pm. High near 39. Breezy, with a north wind 13 to 16 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Monday Night: Rain and snow likely, possibly mixed with freezing rain before 7pm, then a chance of rain and snow between 7pm and 1am, then a slight chance of snow after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 25. West wind 10 to 13 mph becoming south after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of snow, mainly after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. South southeast wind 8 to 10 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tuesday Night: A chance of snow before 4am, then a slight chance of freezing rain. Cloudy, with a low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday: A slight chance of freezing rain before 7am, then a chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 55. Our Low was 34. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 10 and the Low was -8. The Record High on Dec. 24th was 55 in 1893 & 1964, and the Record Low was -23 in 1983. Sunrise is 7:44. Sunset is 4:54.

Today: DENSE FOG ADVISORY until 11-a.m.; Patchy dense fog; Otherwise, mostly cloudy. High near 54. S/SW winds @ 10-20 mph becoming S/SE.

Tonight: Cloudy w/a 40% chance of rain. A nearly steady temperature of around 51. S/SE winds 10-25 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday: Cloudy & breezy w/rain. High near 56. S/SE @ 10-20 mph w/gusts to near 30. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Christmas Eve: Rain. Low around 32. S winds becoming N/NW @ 10-20 mph. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Christmas Day: Breezy, w/rain through early afternoon, becoming mixed with snow later in the day. High near 37. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Mon. Night: Breezy, w/rain and snow. Some freezing rain is possible at times, late. Low around 24.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy w/a 40% chance of snow. High near 32.

Friday’s High in Atlantic was 51. Our Low was 34. We received a Trace of rain/drizzle over the past 24-hours (ending today at 7-a.m.). Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 0 and the Low was -11. The Record High on Dec. 23rd was 62 in 1964,and the Record Low was -22 in 1983. Sunrise is 7:43. Sunset is 4:53.

Today: A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly before 10am. Patchy fog before 1pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. Light and variable wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the morning. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph after midnight.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 56. Light south wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.

Sat. Night: A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 44. Breezy, with a south southeast wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Sunday: Rain. High near 53. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday Night: Rain. Low around 38. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Christmas Day: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Monday Night: Rain likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 31. Blustery. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 55. The Low was 42. We received .02″ rain/drizzle over the past 24-hours (ending today at 7-a.m.). Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was -10 and the Low was -14. The Record High on Dec. 22nd was 65 in 1933,and the Record Low was -27 in 1989. Sunrise is 7:42. Sunset is 4:52.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the current drought is the longest in Iowa since the 1950s, with abnormally dry and drought conditions extending into the 188th week in a row, according to the latest data available.Following the 16th driest November on record, precipitation for December is currently about 60 percent of average, which is normally 1.37 inches. Portions of southeast Iowa recorded above normal rainfall for the month, leaving most of the state with below average precipitation.

Depending on potential rainfall during the coming weekend, December could finish with average levels This would help stabilize, but not improve, drought conditions. Tim Hall, the Hydrology Resources Coordinator for the Iowa DNR, says “At this point, any moisture we get in the state will be helpful. With conditions as dry as they are coming out of 2023 there is a real concern for hydrologic conditions moving into 2024. Low stream flows and dry soil conditions could lead to water supply challenges in the coming year.”

However, the dry winter months will make drought recovery challenging. January is normally the driest month of the year in the state, with an average of less than one inch of moisture. Iowa State Climatologist, Dr. Justin Glisan says “Strong El Niño conditions are projected to persist through winter. In an El Niño winter, precipitation can be highly variable. Warmer than normal temperatures could result in more rain than snow during the winter months.” 

The Iowa Drought Team, made up of staff from the Departments of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and Natural Resources will continue to meet over the winter months to prepare for potential continuation and worsening of drought conditions. The next Water Summary Update, which will include a review of the 2023 conditions, will be published in January.