DES MOINES, Iowa -- Drought in creeping into Iowa.
The National Drought Monitor map is showing abnormally dry conditions across much of Western Iowa, with a pocket of drought in the west-central part of the state.
"That's the first classification that's more than just abnormally dry. It's not as bad as looking at our neighbors to the south and west where they're starting to wrestle with some significant drought issues. It could be the beginning edge some something we want to watch" says Iowa Department of Natural Resources hydrologist Tim Hall.
He says it's a completely different story for Eastern Iowa.
"There is a stark dividing line almost right down the center of the state. The eastern half of the state got a lot more rain than normal, and the western half did not" Hall says.
He says it balances out to give Iowa an average amount of rain for the month of June when taken for the entire state.
Hall also says the demand for water is going up in farm fields across Iowa.
"Any moisture that in the topsoil--the shallow upper levels of the soil is going to be depleted as those crops pull the moisture up and transpire it into the atmosphere" he says.
Hall says the latest National Drought Monitor map out this week won't reflect any of the rain that's fallen anywhere in the state since late last week.