Washington DC (Northwestiowa.com) — Over half of Iowa is abnormally dry again according to Thursday’s update of the USDA Drought Monitor. Most of the change comes in the Western third of the state including the KICD Broadcast Area, although the Southeastern tip of the state on the Mississippi River also slid into the D-1 Moderate Drought category.

57 percent of the state is now considered abnormally dry, up from 46 percent one week ago. Cherokee County was normal last week but is now nearly 100 percent abnormally dry, O’Brien County was normal, with the Southwest 2/3rds now abnormally dry. The Northern outskirts of Osceola, Dickinson, and Emmet counties were abnormally dry on February 3rd, but most of Osceola, Dickinson and over half of Emmet County are now abnormally dry.

Only 1 percent of the state is in Moderate Drought – Western Lyon, Sioux, and Plymouth Counties in addition to that new spot we mentioned down on the Missouri and Illinois borders.