Photo: U.S. Drought Monitor
(Undated) -- This week's U.S. Drought Monitor Map shows nearly all of Iowa as either abnormally dry or in some form of drought. The driest conditions continue to be in western and northwest Iowa. Two counties, Sioux and Monona have slipped into the "Exceptional Drought" category.
Tim Hall of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says April rainfall was disappointing, more than one inch below normal. He says the state could use one inch of rain each week during the month of May, June, and July.
He says stream flows are okay, but deteriorating, and without normal rain fall will decline even more as vegetation begins to demand more ground moisture.