While cold and rainy weather may have not been a favorable way to start April, the recent precipitation received in the KCII listening area has helped alleviate drought conditions.

According to the Drought Mitigation Center, areas of extreme drought, the second-highest level of the intensity scale, have shrunk by 40% in Iowa and Johnson counties over the last week. The small area of extreme drought in northeast Washington County has been eradicated as well.

While some areas of severe drought still exist, a majority of Washington and Keokuk counties are classified as moderate drought. The lowest level of drought on the scale, 100 percent of Jefferson County is under moderate drought also. In Henry and Louisa counties, meanwhile, much of the land is no longer under drought conditions, rather it is labeled abnormally dry. This is about 46 percent in Henry County and 85 percent in Louisa County.

To view the drought outlook in your county, as well as the rest of the State, click here.