This week’s U.S. Drought Monitor report shows drought intensity has lessened in Washington County.

Drought conditions in Washington County have lingered since last summer, with a moderate drought intensity for the last month that lifted to abnormally dry intensity this week. The estimated number of Iowans in drought areas is 780,643. State Climatologist Justin Glisan reported wetter than average conditions in eastern Iowa last week, with general amounts of 0.20 to 0.75 of an inch received in southeast Iowa. Data from the National Weather Service shows Washington received a total of 2.58 inches of precipitation and 3.6 inches of snow in the month of March, higher than the normals of 2.32 and 2.3 inches, respectively.