DES MOINES – Some areas of northwest Iowa received more than half a year's worth of rain during the final week of June, leading to significant flooding conditions, according to the latest Water Summary Update.
June’s preliminary statewide rainfall average was 5.22 inches. However, precipitation totals varied significantly across different regions of the state.
In northwest Iowa, Lake Park received 18.46 inches of rainfall during June, while the Rathbun Dam area only saw 1.96 inches. Some areas of southern and southeastern Iowa received below normal precipitation for the month, despite the historic rainfall.
The trend of wetter than normal months ended in June, with monthly average rainfall just below the statewide average. The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows less than one percent of Iowa as abnormally dry, the lowest for the state in 218 weeks. June also showed an average statewide temperature of 50.7 degrees, or 2.1 degrees above normal.
“Averaged across the state, rainfall in June was just below normal. However, since June is normally the wettest month in the state, drought related conditions have been all but eliminated in the state. The last nine months have been wetter than normal, which continues the trend we’ve been seeing,” said Tim Hall, the DNR’s Hydrology Resources Coordinator. “As we continue into summer months of increased water demand, we should continue the favorable hydrologic conditions in Iowa, with soil moisture and streamflow staying near normal levels.”
For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, visit
www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.
The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.