Iowa, 2020

Drought 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.

Where it happened

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

The toll

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.

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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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.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

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.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, October 2020

Sources

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.