Drought conditions across Iowa varied widely in 2025, improving during the summer before worsening again with a dry fall, according to the state’s latest Water Summary Update. Iowa ended the year with a statewide average of 33.60 inches of precipitation, nearly 2 inches below normal. December precipitation totaled one inch statewide, almost 0.4 inches below average, with the wettest conditions occurring in southeast Iowa. After emerging from a historically long drought in 2024, Iowa entered 2025 with lingering rainfall deficits. Dry conditions dominated early in the year, but increased rainfall during the summer brought drought-free conditions across the state through much of the summer and early fall. Drier weather returned later in the year, prompting drought watches in two regions. Iowa Department of Natural Resources Environmental Specialist Jessica Reese McIntyre says, “Continued normal or above normal precipitation in January and February is important to maintain average conditions in the typically dry winter months.” Statewide temperatures for the year averaged nearly 1.5 degrees above normal. The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department. A link to the latest Water Summary Update is included with this story on our website.
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