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DES MOINES, Iowa -- July's going into the books as yet another overly-dry month in the state of Iowa.
"July was below normal--that's the fourth month in a row of below normal rainfall. It's also the sixth out of seven months this year below normal. It's just the steady chipping away at what we're supposed to get for moisture," says Iowa Department of Natural Resources Hydrology Resources Coordinator Tim Hall.
He says drought conditions are, again, expanding across Iowa.
"The week we ended up seeing a significant expansion of moderate drought across Southern Iowa. All or parts of 24 counties are now showing that moderate drought," Hall says.
The driest conditions continue to be in Northwest Iowa with expanding severe and extreme drought conditions.
Hall says last month's below-average rainfall comes as Iowa sees the end of what's typically it's wettest time of year.
He says the rest of the year, on average, sees diminishing precipitation.
"What concerns me is that we're over the top on the roller coaster hill--meaning that every month from here on forward into winter we normally see less and less precipitation each month," Hall says.
The DNR's Water Summary Update for July also says streamflow in Western Iowa's rivers and creeks is dropping, and concern for shallow groundwater availability is increasing in some areas.