Drought Information Statement for Northeast IA, Southeast MN, & Western, WI Valid May 27, 2025 Issued By: WFO La Crosse, WI Contact Information: w-arx.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated Thursday, June 5, 2024. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ARX/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/ for regional drought status updates. Little Change in the Dryness South of I-90 Drought intensity and extent... Abnormally Dry (D0) and moderate drought (D1) conditions continue in southern Grant County (WI). Abnormally dry (D0) conditions continue in parts of northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwest Wisconsin south of Interstate 90. Recent Change in Drought Intensity... During the past week, there was a little improvement in the abnormally dry (D0) conditions in central Vernon County and northern Richland County in southwest Wisconsin. Precipitation... The dryness from meteorological autumn continued into meteorological winter. This resulted in 2 to 7" deficits along and west of the Mississippi River. Meteorological spring was near-normal to 2" drier than normal south of Interstate 90. At this time, only southern Grant County (WI) is in a moderate drought (D1). Abnormally dry (D0) conditions still exists south of Interstate 90. Temperature... During the last week of May, high temperatures were 8 to 10°F colder than normal. During the past 30 days, temperature departures ranged from near normal to 3°F warmer than normal. Summary of Impacts... Hydrologic Impacts There are no known impacts at this time. Agricultural Impacts There are no known impacts at this time. Fire Hazard Impacts As of the morning of May 30, fire danger was moderate (fires start easily and spread at a moderate rate) in Taylor County in north-central Wisconsin, and low (fires are not easily started) fire danger was seen in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwest and central Wisconsin. Other Impacts There are no known impacts at this time. Mitigation Actions No known actions are taking place in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts... The dryness from meteorological autumn continued into meteorological winter. This resulted in 2 to 7" deficits along and west of the Mississippi River. Meteorological spring (began on March 1) has been on the wetter side with precipitation surpluses up to 4”. As of the morning of May 30, rivers and stream flows were near-normal in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and from southwest into central Wisconsin. At this time, only southern Grant County (WI) is in a moderate drought (D1). Abnormally dry (D0) conditions still exists south of Interstate 90. Fire Hazard Impacts... As of the morning of May 30… fire danger was moderate (fires start easily and spread at a moderate rate) in Taylor County in north-central Wisconsin, and low (fires are not easily started) fire danger was seen in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwest and central Wisconsin. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast... From May 30 through June 6, the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) is forecasting anywhere from 1 to 2” of rain across the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Normal precipitation is around 1.3 inches for this time period. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook... From June 7 through June 13, rapid onset drought (at least a 2-category degradation) is not expected in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and from southwest into central Wisconsin. Long-Range Outlooks... From June-August, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has tilted the odds toward temperatures warmer than normal (33-40%) across the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Drier-than-normal is favored near and west of Interstate 35. Meanwhile, there are equal chances for drier, near, and wetter than normal across the remainder of the area. Drought Outlook Moderate drought (D1) conditions are expected continue in southern Grant County (WI) through meteorological summer.