Iowa Experiences Dry Spell Break with July's Excessive Rainfall, Ending the Drought.
In a welcome turn of events, the latest seasonal outlooks indicate that most of Iowa may experience no drought for the remainder of the summer and early fall. This promising forecast follows significant improvements in drought conditions across the state during July 2025.
According to Jessica Reese McIntyre, DNR Environmental Specialist, the state is expected to maintain warm temperatures, with occasional rain and thunderstorms contributing to continued moisture. An amplified upper-level ridge is predicted to keep temperatures above normal across much of the central U.S., including Iowa, with a high probability of hotter-than-average conditions persisting through at least late summer.
The intermittent rain and thunderstorms forecast for August could bring some of the warmest temperatures of the 2025 summer season so far. For instance, early August has already seen isolated thunderstorms and warm conditions, followed by periods of rain and scattered storms. Around August 22, Cedar Rapids is forecast to have mostly cloudy to overcast skies with a moderate 20% precipitation chance.
Recent observations in southeast Iowa have shown weekly precipitation totals ranging from very light amounts, indicating some localized dryness but overall improved moisture compared to previous drought conditions.
The prevailing weather pattern with warm temperatures and occasional rainfall suggests maintenance of improved soil moisture and minimal drought risk moving forward through August and into early fall. This positive outlook supports agricultural conditions moving into late summer 2025.
However, warmer air holds more moisture, and concerns for drought returning could arise if the state experiences below-normal rainfall during August. Statewide precipitation totaled 9.20 inches in July, which is 4.83 inches above the normal, offering some reassurance.
The improved conditions have led to the removal of drought watch designations for Western and Southern Iowa. Yet, no specific timeline for the continuation of dry conditions in the southwestern region was provided. A small pocket along the Missouri River in southwestern Iowa is likely to see dry conditions continue.
According to the current U.S. Drought Monitor, less than one percent of Iowa continues to experience abnormally dry conditions. The improved conditions were courtesy of Iowa DNR's latest report, which also showed July 2021 as the second wettest July in 153 years of records, with more than double the expected precipitation.
The map of the improved conditions was also courtesy of Iowa DNR. All drought regions in Iowa now carry a normal drought designation. The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center's August outlook indicates an equal chance for above, below, or near-average precipitation and temperatures across the entire state.
In conclusion, after July's drought improvement, Iowa's weather is trending warm with episodic rain and thunderstorms keeping soil moisture replenished, which supports positive agricultural conditions moving into late summer 2025.
- Kimch, the local DNR Environmental Specialist, has predicted warm temperatures for Iowa with occasional rain and thunderstorms, keeping improved moisture levels in the soil.
- While the current weather situation indicates minimal drought risk, concerns regarding drought returning could arise if below-normal rainfall occurs during August.
- The improved conditions, as indicated by the US Drought Monitor and the Iowa DNR's latest report, have led to the removal of drought watch designations for Western and Southern Iowa.
- The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center's August outlook suggests an equal probability for above, below, or near-average precipitation and temperatures across the entire state of Iowa, affecting the environmental-science and weather scenarios for the state.
