DES MOINES, Iowa -- Day-long rain dropping two to three, and in some places four inches of across much of drought-plagued Iowa was a good thing, especially where the state's climatologist is concerned.
"Watching radar put a smile on my face, just seeing waves and waves of showers and the efficient rainfall we're getting--let's keep it coming," says Iowa Climatologist Justin Glisen.
He says the rain that fell Sunday will help ease a year-long drought.
"Twelve to 14 months we have precipitation deficits anywhere from eight to 12 inches, so when you get a one, to two, to three inch rainfall over 24 hours, that definitely starts to help these drier parts of the state," Glisen says.
He says while all that rain across Iowa Sunday is welcome, it wasn't enough to end the drought.
"Any little bit moving forward will help, but we need months in which we're above average to really start to bust the drought," Glisen says.
Grimes got just over four inches of rain Sunday, while Altoona got more than three. Des Moines and Ames got just under three inches, while Cedar Rapids and Iowa City got about two.
The National Weather Service says more rain is expected across Iowa starting Tuesday night, through the day Wednesday, into Thursday, with widespread one- to two-inch rains in the forecast.