Iowa, 2020Drought in Iowa, October 1 to 31, 2020
October 1 to 31, 2020 · NWS DMX · 14 events in 14 counties and zones
Severe drought conditions remained across much of western Iowa with rainfall remaining generally at or below normal for the month. Some relief did occur in terms of cooler weather thus limiting overall evaporation rates.
Every event with a place to put it; 14 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 14
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Severe drought conditions remained across much of western Iowa with rainfall remaining generally at or below normal for the month. Some relief did occur in terms of cooler weather thus limiting overall evaporation rates.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 30, 11:14 PM CST, 46 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 11:14 PM CST, 46 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 30, 1:57 PM CST, 10 hours 3 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
257 PM CDT Wed Sep 30 2020
IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-
081>086-092>097-012000-
Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo-
Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Sac-Calhoun-
Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-Crawford-Carroll-Greene-
Boone-Story-Marshall-Tama-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Polk-Jasper-
Poweshiek-Cass-Adair-Madison-Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Adams-Union-
Clarke-Lucas-Monroe-Wapello-Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne-
Appanoose-Davis-
257 PM CDT Wed Sep 30 2020
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa.
.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight
Northerly wind gusts of 30 to 40 MPH are expected through the late
afternoon and early evening hours.
Gusty winds coupled with low humidity presents an elevated fire
threat this afternoon. Conditions are not appropriate for burning
this afternoon.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday
Gusty winds of 25 to 30 MPH are forecast for Thursday afternoon
and early evening.
Thursday and Friday Night, low temperatures in the lower 30s will
lead to the potential for frost in some areas.
Rain showers return to the forecast on Saturday.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotters will not be needed.
Drought, Palo Alto
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Palo Alto forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 43.082, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Palo Alto county for much of October. Some extreme drought even developed into portions of west central Palo Alto early in the month as dry conditions persisted.
Drought, Pocahontas
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Pocahontas forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.734, -94.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Pocahontas county for much of October with precipitation remaining below normal for another month.
Drought, Sac
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Sac forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.386, -95.105 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Sac county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Calhoun
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Calhoun forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.385, -94.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Calhoun county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Webster
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Webster forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.428, -94.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Webster county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Hamilton
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Hamilton forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across much of Hamilton county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Crawford
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Crawford forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.037, -95.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Crawford county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Carroll
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Carroll forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.036, -94.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Carroll county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Greene
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Greene forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Greene county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Boone
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Boone forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.037, -93.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Boone county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Audubon
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Audubon forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.685, -94.906 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Audubon county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Guthrie
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Guthrie forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.684, -94.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Guthrie county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Cass
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Cass forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.332, -94.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across Cass county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
Drought, Adair
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Adair forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.331, -94.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Severe drought conditions remained across portions of Adair county during the month of October with precipitation remaining below normal for the month.
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Heat in Arizona, October 1 to 6, 20202 deaths · 2 events
- Wildfire in Colorado, October 1 to 31, 2020$92 million · 1 event
- Rip Current in Puerto Rico, October 1, 20201 death · 2 injured · 1 event
- Drought in Maine, October 1 to 31, 2020$9.0 million · 18 events
- Drought in New Hampshire, October 1 to 31, 2020$9.0 million · 15 events
- Drought in Iowa, October 1 to 31, 2020$747,000 · 10 events
- Drought in South Dakota, October 1 to 31, 2020$143,000 · 5 events
- Drought in Minnesota, October 1 to 31, 2020$100,000 · 1 event
- Drought in New Mexico, October 1 to 31, 202040 events
- Drought in Colorado, October 1 to 31, 202021 events
- Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 202016 events
- Drought in New Mexico, October 1 to 31, 202015 events
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 925678, 925680, 925681, 925682, 925684, 925686, 925687, 925688, 925689, 925690, 925691, 925692, 925693, 925694.