IOWA, USA — For the third 'water year' in a row, Iowa's precipitation was below normal. Now, attention is turning to this upcoming spring.
The state's DNR measures water years from October 1 to the following September 30. And in the 2023 water year the state just ended, September bookended a bad year with only 2.1 inches of rain. It's the ninth month in a row of below normal moisture for 2023 according to the state's Water Summary Update.
Over the 2023 water year, Iowa's precipitation was only 26.08 inches. That's 9.47 inches below normal. If you zoom out to the past three years, precipitation in Iowa is almost 16 inches short of normal.
According to Tim Hall, Iowa DNR's hydrology resources coordinator, concern is high as we head into the typically drier winter and a period of frozen soils.
"Normal to above normal rainfall is certainly needed across nearly all of the state," Hall said.
October 2023 was the first time since February that the state saw normal to above normal rainfall.
Hall joined News 8 on The Current to discuss what this means for farmers and landowners, and what the DNR's plans are to address this issue going forward. You can watch the full interview in the above video.
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