Drought Information Statement for Northeast IA, Southeast MN, & Western, WI  
Valid November 23, 2023
Issued By: WFO La Crosse, WI
Contact Information: w-arx.webmaster@noaa.gov
This product will be updated November 30, 2023 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ARX/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 

U.S. Drought Monitor
 
Drought intensity and extent:

Northeast Iowa: Severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought.

Southeast Minnesota: Abnormally dry (D0) to extreme (D3) drought.

Western Wisconsin: Abnormally dry (D0) to extreme (D3) drought. The drought is mainly south of Interstate 90.

Recent Change in Drought Intensity:

During the past week, there has been no change in the drought situation.

Precipitation:

From November 15 through November 21, little to no precipitation fell across the area. This resulted no change in the drought situation this week.

Temperature:

During the past month (October 24  through November 22), temperatures have ranged from 1°F to 5°F warmer than normal.

Summary of Impacts:

Hydrologic Impacts
 
Flows continue to range from below to near-normal in northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota. The lowest flows were found along Little Cedar near Ionia, IA (22% of normal); Turkey River at Spillville, IA (26% of normal); and South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester, MN (27% of normal).

Agricultural Impacts

There are some reports of some producers selling livestock due to a lack of water and having to feed hay.

Fire Hazard Impacts

As of the morning of November 21, fire danger was high (fires start easily and spread at a high rate) across northeast Iowa, and in Buffalo, Clark, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, and Trempealeau counties in western Wisconsin.

Mitigation Actions

A drought task force has been activated in Wisconsin.
In Iowa, CRP land was opened for emergency haying and grazing.
No known actions are currently taking place at this time in Minnesota.

Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts: 

From November 15 through November 21, precipitation totals ranged from no precipitation to around 15 hundredths of an inch. 

The heaviest precipitation was 0.14" near Lancaster, WI. 

During this time period, typically 3 to 4-tenths of an inch of precipitation falls. 

With below-normal precipitation falling during the past week, there was no change in the drought situation this week.

Flows ranged from below to near-normal in northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota.

Agricultural Impacts:
Due to more demand and very poor growing conditions, hay prices dramatically rose this summer & remained high this autumn.

There are some reports of some producers selling livestock due to a lack of water and having to feed hay.

Fire Hazard Impacts:

As of the morning of November 21, fire danger was high (fires start easily and spread at a high rate) across northeast Iowa, and in Buffalo, Clark, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, and Trempealeau counties in western Wisconsin.

There was moderate (fires start easily and spread at a moderate rate) fire danger in southeast Minnesota. and in Crawford, Grant, Richland, and Vernon counties in western Wisconsin.

Seven Day Precipitation Forecast:

From November 25 through December 2, the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) is forecasting up to a tenth of an inch of precipitation. The highest totals are forecast in Clayton & Fayette counties in northeast Iowa and Grant County in southwest Wisconsin. Normal rainfall is around 3-tenths of an inch for this time period.

Rapid Onset Drought Outlook:

With below-normal temperatures and precipitation forecast, rapid onset drought (at least a 2 category degradation) is not expected in the area from December 1 through December 7.

Long-Range Outlooks:

The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
From December through February, there is enhanced chances for warmer-than-normal temperatures.

Meanwhile, there are equal chances of above-, near-, and below-normal precipitation.

Drought Outlook: 

The latest monthly and seasonal drought outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
According to the latest U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook (November 16 through February 29), the drought is expected to persist along and south of Interstate 90.