Iowa
Drought descends on Iowa despite the wet spring
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Drought conditions are continuing to spread in Iowa, despite this year starting as the ninth wettest year on record after an unusually rainy spring.
“If we hadn’t received the rainfall recharge earlier this year, conditions would be exceedingly worse,” said Keith Schilling, a state geologist and the director of the State Geographical Survey.
It’s been 34 days since Cedar Rapids received measurable rainfall, the third longest stretch in the fall the city has experienced since 1892 when state record-keeping began.
Statewide, “severe drought” conditions increased 8.5 percent in Iowa in the past week, including a swath of northeast Iowa, partially driven by low moisture and humidity levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday.
At this point, almost all of Iowa is experiencing some level of abnormally dry or drought conditions. Only a handful of Iowa counties in southern Iowa — Page, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur and Wayne — are free of dry conditions.
In addition, the National Weather Service on Thursday issued a red flag warning, signaling increased fire danger.
September was the driest September in Iowa in 52 years. But even with that, 2024 still ranks around the 30th wettest year on record in Iowa.
How did drought conditions creep back into Iowa after the state had such a wet spring?
Like ‘clockwork’
Schilling said it’s like “clockwork.”
“The soil moisture conditions are like a clock that continually needs to be rewound to keep from slowing down or stopping,” he said. “The rain earlier this year reset the clock and filled the soil moisture system. But crop water use during the summer and the lack of rain this late summer and fall are causing drought conditions to emerge again.”
In a normal year, Iowa would have had enough rainfall this fall to reset the soil moisture conditions before heading into winter, Schilling said.
“Any level of low-level drought occurring now began only a couple of months ago instead of several years ago, so we are in a much better place than would have been if (spring) rainfall had not occurred.”
Dry October
Justin Glisan, state climatologist with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, said the state experienced only 10 percent of its typical precipitation in the first half of October.
Looking at the year as a whole, Iowa has had about 30.5 total inches of precipitation, about 5 inches under the state’s annual average, with two-and-a-half months left in 2024.
“That just shows you how wet and how dry last year was,” Glisan said.
Cedar Rapids went without rain 55 days in the fall of 1952, the record, he said.
“Throughout the remainder of October, coming in November, it’s a pretty critical time for us to try to get some moisture down into that soil profile,” said Joshua Michel, an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist for northeast Iowa. “Otherwise, our soils most likely will be on the drier side when we come around into spring,”
Michel said northeast and Eastern Iowa has fallen to “anywhere from 2-1/2 to 3 inches below normal (rainfall) or more” in the past 30 days. In the past 60 days, precipitation is anywhere from 4=1/2 to 6 inches below normal or more.
Given that “pretty significant deficit,” he said he wasn’t surprised to see drought conditions expanding in this week’s drought monitor.
He anticipates a slow, continued expansion of drought conditions across the state. Looking ahead, however, Michel said he does not anticipate “extreme” and “exceptional” drought coming to Iowa.
Glisan, the state climatologist, said Iowa’s climate conditions, including drought statistics, go back to 1895.
If Iowa receives rain in late October and into November and December, drought conditions will improve.
“But if the rain stopped completely, and this is all we got, it would be the 55th driest year,” he said of 2024.
Fighting drought
When it comes to Iowa’s current conditions, Glisan said, a “drought is a drought,” but Iowans can do a few things to conserve water, even though water scarcity, as of now, is not on his radar.
For example, landowners with irrigation systems can water their lawns or plants in the evening, since water evaporates faster during the day with warmer temperatures.
Homeowners also should check their faucets and pipes to make sure water isn’t leaking from them.
Despite about 50 percent of the state’s harvest being completed, Michel said it’s important that farmers and their helpers clean and maintain farm machinery and equipment to help mitigate the risk of fires.
A good way to do this, he said, is by taking a power washer, using compressed air or even a leaf blower at the end of the day to clean out machinery’s air filters. He also recommends workers check their coolant and oil levels and remove any material that may be wrapped around any belts, chains or moving parts on the machine.
“Everything creates an enormous amount of heat, especially when you have these very high winds and low humidity levels,” he said. “All it takes is some leaf material, plant residue or some dry chaff getting caught somewhere, and it has the ability to warm up and start smoldering,” Michel said. “It’s not going to be very hard for that to take off, and all of a sudden, you have a problem on your hands.”
Breaking down the drought monitor
The U.S. Drought Monitor categorizes drought conditions as:
- D0: Abnormally dry
- D1: Moderate drought
- D2: Severe drought
- D3: Extreme drought
- D4: Exceptional drought
The drought monitor has broken down the historically observed impacts of the five drought categories. They list the impacts as:
- Abnormally dry: Corn shows drought stress; soil is dry
- Moderate Drought: Grasses are brown; more grass fires occur; burn bans are issued; pond levels decline; soybeans abort pods; corn weights are struggling
- Severe Drought: Dryland corn has extremely low yields; commodity shortages are noted; livestock is stressed; fire danger is high; surface water levels are low; algae blooms increase; voluntary water conservation is requested
- Extreme Drought: Pastures are dry; producers sell cattle; crops are tested for toxins; crops have pest infestation; seasonal allergies are worse; farmers are stressed about high feed prices; trees drop leaves; acorns are underdeveloped; warm water leads to fish kills; stream beds are low to dry
- Exceptional Drought: Aquatic invertebrates in waterways increase; extreme measures are taken to conserve water; row crop yields and forage production have significant impacts
Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
Comments: (319) 398-8370; olivia.cohen@thegazette.com
Julie Russell-Steuart served two terms as chair of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Disability Caucus (2020-2024) and is a disability rights advocate, rural organizer, and artist creating community and power through creativity. Founder of Power of the Press Iowa printing workshops. IGs @Caveworks and @PowerofthePress
Organizing, as I define it, is the practice of bringing people together in solidarity for mutual benefit. The Iowa Democratic Party’s current chair, Rita Hart, recognized in her action plan that this is the keyword going forward for Democratic success: “The first goal for all organizing in 2025 should be more people doing more things—rural, urban, suburban—everywhere.”
This is a belated goal, honestly. The IDP had no dedicated, paid organizers on the ground in the last election cycle, and it was a consequential decision on resources. I got emails from the party asking for donations of $2.00, $1 per targeted race and every time I thought, “Why can’t we ask for four bucks to send the second and fourth Congressional districts a dollar each too? Why is my state party laser focused on complying with national Democrats’ goals, instead of Iowa Democrats’ actual organizing needs?”
I don’t know about you, but I found those emails disappointing. They represented lost opportunity and misplaced loyalty.
Preview: Wisconsin Restarts Big Ten Play Hosting Iowa
Iowa (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten) vs. Wisconsin (10-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
Date/Time – Friday, January 3, 6 p.m.
Arena – Kohl Center (16,838)
Watch – FS1 (Connor Onion and LaPhonso Ellis)
Radio – Badgers Radio Network (Matt Lepay and Brian Butch), Sirius 106 or 195, stream online on iHeartRadio.
Series – Wisconsin leads 89-86 (Wisconsin leads 56-30 in Madison)
Last Meeting – Iowa won, 88-86, in overtime on February 17, 2024, in Iowa City
Follow Online: The Badgers’ Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
Betting line: Wisconsin -5.5
Projected Starting Five (Wisconsin)
Player to Watch: Despite struggling offensively, shooting a career-worst 32.5 percent from the floor, Klesmit leads Wisconsin with 38 assists and has a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio, the second-best mark on the team.
Projected Starting Five (Iowa)
Player to watch: Dix is averaging 15 points and 4.6 rebounds, shooting 56.6 percent from the field (43-of-76) with 13 3-point field goals over his last seven games. Dix scored 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting in last February’s win over Wisconsin.
Series Notes
Wisconsin had its four-game winning streak in the series snapped in last February’s overtime loss in Iowa City.
The Badgers have won the last three meetings in Madison. The Hawkeyes have won three games in Madison during the McCaffery era (2011-12, 2016-17, 2020-21).
Crowl scored 22 points in the last meeting against Iowa, registering career-bests in field goals (13) and field goal attempts (15). In five career games against Iowa, the senior averages 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, all while shooting 64.3% from the field.
Wisconsin Notes
The Badgers finished the nonconference schedule 10-1, losing only at No.5 Marquette. The 10 wins were the most for Wisconsin out of conference since going 11-2 in 2016-17. UW beat four Power-Five conference teams in the nonconference (Arizona, Butler, Pittsburgh, and UCF), its most since 2018-19.
Wisconsin leads the NCAA in free-throw shooting at 85.1 percent, well ahead of the Big Ten record of 81.8 percent that Wisconsin set in 2010-11.
The Badgers are averaging 15.0 assists per game, their most since 1993-94. With UW ranking 18th nationally in turnovers (9.6), the program has never had a season averaging over 15 assists with fewer than 10 turnovers per game.
UW is taking 27 three-point shots per game and making 8.8 three-pointers per game, the most in both categories for the Badgers since the inception of the three-point line in 1986-87.
With a career record of 104-72, Greg Gard is one of 23 Big Ten coaches to register 100 conference wins. He’s the sixth-fastest Big Ten coach to 100 wins in the last 50 years. Gard’s overall record is 196-110 (.641).
Iowa Notes
Friday’s game at Wisconsin is just Iowa’s second true road game of the season. The Hawkeyes had a look at the buzzer in an 85-83 loss at Michigan on Dec. 7. Iowa is 2-1 in three neutral site games this season.
The Hawkeyes have shot better than 50 percent from the floor in three straight contests and in seven games this season. Iowa shot a season-high 62.7 percent in its victory over New Orleans. Iowa is unbeaten this season when shooting at least 50 percent from the field.
The Hawkeyes have made at least eight 3-point field goals in 12 games, including 10+ in seven contests. Iowa made 18 in the win over Southern — the most since 2022 — and 14 against New Orleans. Iowa is second in the Big Ten (23rd nationally), averaging 10.5 per game.
Iowa is leading the Big Ten in assists (20.2, second in NCAA) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.98, fourth in NCAA). The team has had 20+ assists in six games.
Iowa has held 11 of its 13 opponents under 50 percent shooting (and two under 40 percent), has forced at least 18 turnovers in six games, and has held four opponents under 70 points.
Prediction
Wisconsin’s home game against Iowa tonight might be the hottest ticket in town for those wanting to see offensive fireworks.
The Badgers and Hawkeyes are both inside the top 20 in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency ratings and ranked outside the top 75 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Iowa ranks second nationally in scoring (89.7) while KenPom has them ranked in the top 30 in effective field goals percentage (59.0%), offensive turnover percentage (13.6%), 2-point percentage (60.2%) and 3-point percentage (38.3%). A lot of the offense stems from transition offense, another stat where the Hawkeyes are among the national leaders (Iowa’s 17.54 fast-break points per game has them ranked ninth).
Wisconsin’s transition defense has been hit-and-miss. The Badgers allowed double-digit fast-break points to Michigan (19), Arizona (12), and Butler (12) but held Marquette (6) and Illinois (4) in check.
Last February at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa converted 52.6 percent of its shots, including 26 of 43 inside the arc (60.5 percent) and 24 of 30 (80 percent) from the line.
“Having a first game back that requires (us to be good with transition defense) is a challenge,” Gard said.
There are multiple pieces that make Iowa work. Dix is producing in his starting role by shooting 53.4 percent from the floor and Harding used his experience of backing up Tony Freeman last season to pressure defenses by making smart decisions with Iowa’s transition offense (76 assists, 29 turnovers).
The Hawkeyes are still empowered by Freeman, who leads them in scoring (17.1), rebounds (6.5) and blocks (22). He is the only Hawkeye to reach double figures in every game he has played. McCaffery said Freeman will play tonight after missing Monday’s game against New Hampshire with an ankle injury. The Hawkeyes didn’t appear to miss him, as their 45 field goals against UNH were the most under McCaffery.
“Owen is a great player for them with shooters all around him,” Crowl said. “They play really fast. They play hard. They switch things up on defense … He’s a great player. He runs the floor hard, which makes us as bigs have to run, too. They utilize him in a great way. He’s grown immensely from last year to this year.”
Wisconsin ranks among the bottom four of the Big Ten in field goal percentage (44.9) and 3-point percentage (32.5) but the Badgers have made it work by limiting turnovers and being proficient at the line, especially at home (86.9). If UW can continue tightening its defense, the Badgers should get a needed conference win tonight.
Worgull’s Prediction: Wisconsin by nine
Record: 10-3 (9-4 ATS)
Points off Prediction: 104 (8.0 per game)
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The Texas A&M Aggies are adding to their defensive line via the transfer portal following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Per On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Texas A&M has landed a commitment from Iowa State Cyclones defensive line transfer Tyler Onyedim. The Richmond, TX native will return to his home state with one year of eligibility left.
This season, Onyedim finished with 33 total tackles (15 solo), one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. He ends his four-year Iowa State career with 90 total tackles (37 solo), three sacks, one pass breakup and one interception.
Onyedim and the Cyclones put together an impressive season that ended with a loss in the Big 12 Championship to Arizona State and a 42-41 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. He’ll look to bring veteran experience to an A&M team that was one game away from playing in the SEC Championship.
However, the Aggies have lost some major talent on the defensive line since the end of the season. Defensive linemen Shemar Turner, Nic Scourton, and Shemar Stewart all declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. Onyedim will be asked to make an immediate impact due to the experience he brings to the table.
The Aggies have now landed portal commitments from tight ends Nate Boerkircher (Nebraska) and Micah Riley (Auburn), receivers Micah Hudson (Texas Tech), KC Concepcion (N.C. State) and Mario Craver (Mississippi State), quarterback Jacob Zeno (UAB) and edge rushers T.J. Searcy (Florida), Dayon Hayes (Colorado) and Sam M’Pemba (Georgia).
Texas A&M will look to add more talent to the roster as the program preps for the second season under head coach Mike Elko.
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