Extreme drought continues to expand in northeastern Iowa

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DES MOINES, Iowa — Drought conditions continue to worsen across Iowa as August ends and meteorological fall begins.

Thursday's U.S. Drought Monitor update reveals expanding extreme drought in northeast Iowa, now including cities like Cedar Rapids, Decorah, Waterloo and Mason City.

Southeast Iowa towns, like Bloomfield and Ottumwa, are also dealing with extreme drought.

Roughly 18% of the state is experiencing extreme drought, an increase of more than 12% since last week's report.

More than 50% of Iowa has at least severe drought conditions.

According to statistics from the U.S. Drought Monitor, an estimated 2,448,997 Iowans live in drought areas.

RELATED: WEATHER LAB | Drought categories explained

Extreme drought causes a variety of issues for Iowans, but these are a few of the most prominent ones:

In August, Des Moines International Airport recorded 2.4" of rain, which is more than 1.5" below average for the month.

For the calendar year, Des Moines has only measured 18.8" of precipitation total, a dramatic difference from the average of nearly 27" through the start of September.

RELATED: No, the heat index is not the same as the actual temperature

The Climate Prediction Center says below-average precipitation is favored for September, and the first two weeks of the month look mainly dry as a ridge of high pressure persists through the heart of the nation.

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