Drought conditions have recently worsened in Washington County according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

About all of the county is seeing moderate drought, while most of Iowa is facing abnormally dry conditions. This time last year most of eastern Iowa saw no drought intensity, while western Iowa saw levels ranging from abnormally dry to extreme drought. Washington County has seen abnormally dry conditions for the last several months, and historically-observed impacts for areas under moderate drought include decline of pond levels, soybeans abort pods and corn test weights struggle, more grass fires occur, and burn bans are issued. The estimated number of Iowans living in drought areas is 1,333,219. The U.S. Drought Monitor is updated every Thursday through a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.