211  
AXUS74 KARX 251059  
DGTARX  
IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034-041>044-  
053>055-061-011200-  
 
DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI  
558 AM CDT THU MAY 25 2023  
   
..STILL ABNORMALLY DRY IN PARTS OF NORTHEAST IOWA  
 
.SYNOPSIS:  
 
.DROUGHT INTENSITY AND EXTENT:  
 
FROM APRIL 1 THROUGH MAY 24, PRECIPITATION IN NORTHEAST IOWA RANGED  
FROM 3.84 INCHES NEAR OELWEIN TO 11.02 INCHES AT OSAGE, IA. THIS  
RESULTED IN PRECIPITATION DEFICITS RANGING FROM 2 INCHES WETTER THAN  
NORMAL TO 5 INCHES DRIER THAN NORMAL ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA. THE  
GREATEST DEFICITS ARE FOUND IN CLAYTON, CHICKASAW, FAYETTE, AND  
WINNESHIEK COUNTIES. DUE TO THIS, PARTS OR ALL OF THESE COUNTIES ARE  
ABNORMALLY DRY (D0).  
 
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR SUMMARY:  
 
IN THE MAY 23 RELEASE OF THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR, MODERATE (D1) TO  
EXTREME (D3) DROUGHT CONTINUED IN WESTERN IOWA.  
 
ABNORMALLY DRY (D0) CONDITIONS TO MODERATE (D1) DROUGHT WERE FOUND  
IN SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST ILLINOIS.  
 
ABNORMALLY DRY (D0) CONDITIONS WERE FOUND IN WESTERN MINNESOTA,  
NORTHEAST IOWA, AND EAST-CENTRAL WISCONSIN.  
 
NOTE: THE DATA CUTOFF FOR DROUGHT MONITOR MAPS IS TUESDAY AT 7 A.M.  
CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME.  
 
LOCAL AREA AFFECTED:  
 
ABNORMALLY DRY (D0) IN ALL OR PARTS OF:  
 
NORTHEAST IOWA: CLAYTON, CHICKASAW, FAYETTE, AND WINNESHIEK COUNTIES.  
 
.PRECIPITATION:  
 
FOR THE GROWING SEASON, PRECIPITATION DEFICITS RANGE FROM 2 INCHES  
ABOVE-NORMAL TO 5 INCHES DRIER THAN NORMAL ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA.  
THE GREATEST DEFICITS ARE FOUND IN CLAYTON, CHICKASAW, FAYETTE, AND  
WINNESHIEK COUNTIES. DUE TO THIS, PARTS OR ALL OF THESE COUNTIES ARE  
ABNORMALLY DRY (D0).  
 
.HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS:  
 
AS OF THE MORNING OF MAY 19, THE RIVER AND STREAM FLOW WAS ABOVE TO  
MUCH ABOVE NORMAL IN NORTHEAST IOWA, ABOVE NORMAL IN SOUTHEAST  
MINNESOTA, AND NORMAL TO ABOVE-NORMAL IN WESTERN WISCONSIN.  
 
WHILE IT HAS ALSO BEEN DRY (PRECIPITATION DEFICITS UP TO 3 INCHES)  
FOR THE GROWING SEASON IN SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN, IT CAME  
AFTER A VERY WET WINTER AS A RESULT THIS AREA ACTUALLY HAS A SURPLUS  
OF UP TO 4 INCHES SINCE DECEMBER 1, 2022.  
 
NOTE: THIS IS TIME-SENSITIVE AND CONDITIONS COULD CHANGE.  
 
.SUMMARY OF IMPACTS:  
 
.AGRICULTURE:  
 
HERE ARE THE LATEST AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE REPORTS FOR  
IOWA, MINNESOTA, AND WISCONSIN ISSUED ON MAY 22, 2023.  
 
IOWA  
 
COOLER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND RELATIVELY DRY WEATHER HELPED  
IOWA FARMERS TO 4.8 DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELDWORK DURING THE WEEK  
ENDING MAY 21, 2023. FARMERS WERE STILL PLANTING CORN, SOYBEANS, AND  
OATS THIS WEEK, ALTHOUGH PLANTING ACTIVITIES WERE NEARING COMPLETION.  
 
TOPSOIL MOISTURE CONDITION RATED 5 PERCENT VERY SHORT, 20 PERCENT  
SHORT, 71 PERCENT ADEQUATE, AND 4 PERCENT SURPLUS.  
 
SUBSOIL MOISTURE CONDITION RATED 7 PERCENT VERY SHORT, 25 PERCENT  
SHORT, 65 PERCENT ADEQUATE, AND 3 PERCENT SURPLUS.  
 
NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF IOWA’S EXPECTED CORN CROP HAS BEEN PLANTED, 9  
DAYS AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND 12 DAYS AHEAD OF THE 5-YEAR AVERAGE.  
SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE CORN CROP HAS EMERGED, 6 DAYS AHEAD OF  
LAST YEAR AND 4 DAYS AHEAD OF THE AVERAGE. EIGHTY-FOUR PERCENT OF  
IOWA’S EXPECTED SOYBEAN CROP HAS BEEN PLANTED, JUST OVER A WEEK  
AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND NEARLY 2 WEEKS AHEAD OF NORMAL. FORTY-THREE  
PERCENT OF SOYBEANS HAVE EMERGED, 8 DAYS AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND 6  
DAYS AHEAD OF AVERAGE. NINETY-FOUR PERCENT OF THE EXPECTED OAT CROP  
HAS EMERGED, 8 DAYS AHEAD OF NORMAL. ELEVEN PERCENT OF THE OAT CROP  
HAS HEADED, 9 DAYS AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND 10 DAYS AHEAD OF THE  
AVERAGE. OAT CONDITION IMPROVED TO 80 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT.  
 
EIGHT PERCENT OF THE STATE’S FIRST CUTTING OF ALFALFA HAY HAS BEEN  
COMPLETED. HAY CONDITION DECLINED TO 66 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT.  
PASTURE CONDITION RATED 58 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT. REPORTS OF  
LIVESTOCK TURNED OUT TO PASTURE WERE RECEIVED AGAIN THIS WEEK,  
OVERALL LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS ARE GOOD.  
 
MINNESOTA  
 
A MILD WEEK WEATHER-WISE GAVE MINNESOTA FARMERS 4.2 DAYS SUITABLE  
FOR FIELDWORK FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 21, 2023. THE MAJORITY OF  
FIELDWORK FOR THE WEEK WAS PLANTING CROPS. SOME LIVESTOCK WERE  
RELEASED TO PASTURES.  
 
TOPSOIL MOISTURE SUPPLIES WERE RATED 3 PERCENT VERY SHORT, 9 PERCENT  
SHORT, 68 PERCENT ADEQUATE, AND 20 PERCENT SURPLUS.  
 
SUBSOIL MOISTURE SUPPLIES WERE RATED 3 PERCENT VERY SHORT, 9 PERCENT  
SHORT, 72 PERCENT ADEQUATE, AND 16 PERCENT SURPLUS.  
 
CORN PLANTING REACHED 80 PERCENT COMPLETE, 1 WEEK AHEAD OF LAST YEAR  
AND 1 DAY AHEAD OF THE 5-YEAR AVERAGE. CORN EMERGENCE REACHED 44  
PERCENT. SOYBEAN PLANTING WAS 53 PERCENT COMPLETE, 1 WEEK AHEAD OF  
LAST YEAR BUT 1 DAY BEHIND THE 5-YEAR AVERAGE. SOYBEAN EMERGENCE  
REACHED 19 PERCENT.  
 
PLANTING PROGRESS FOR BARLEY REACHED 66 PERCENT WITH 24 PERCENT OF  
THE CROP EMERGED. OATS PLANTED WERE AT 77 PERCENT WITH 49 PERCENT  
EMERGED. SPRING WHEAT PLANTING REACHED 74 PERCENT WITH 30 PERCENT  
EMERGED.  
 
DRY EDIBLE BEANS PLANTING REACHED 27 PERCENT WITH 1 PERCENT EMERGED.  
POTATO PLANTING WAS AT 56 PERCENT, SUGARBEETS PLANTING WAS AT 94  
PERCENT, AND SUNFLOWER PLANTING REACHED 29 PERCENT. THE FIRST  
CUTTING OF ALFALFA HAY STARTED AT 2 PERCENT.  
 
ALL HAY CONDITION WAS RATED 68 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT, AND  
PASTURE CONDITION WAS RATED 64 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT.  
 
WISCONSIN  
 
WISCONSIN HAD 5.7 DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELDWORK FOR THE WEEK ENDING  
MAY 21, 2023. NEAR-IDEAL WEATHER CONDITIONS ALLOWED FOR RAPID  
PLANTING PROGRESS AND SPURRED CROP DEVELOPMENT.  
 
TOPSOIL MOISTURE CONDITION RATED 1 PERCENT VERY SHORT, 11 PERCENT  
SHORT, 78 PERCENT ADEQUATE, AND 10 PERCENT SURPLUS.  
 
SUBSOIL MOISTURE CONDITION RATED 0 PERCENT VERY SHORT, 6 PERCENT  
SHORT, 83 PERCENT ADEQUATE, AND 11 PERCENT SURPLUS.  
 
SPRING TILLAGE WAS REPORTED AS 80 PERCENT COMPLETE, 3 DAYS AHEAD OF  
LAST YEAR, AND EQUAL TO THE 5-YEAR AVERAGE.  
 
CORN PLANTING WAS 69 PERCENT COMPLETE, 4 DAYS AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND  
1 DAY AHEAD OF AVERAGE. TWENTY-SIX PERCENT OF THE CORN CROP HAS  
EMERGED, 1 DAY AHEAD OF LAST YEAR.  
 
SOYBEAN PLANTING WAS 55 PERCENT COMPLETE, 3 DAYS AHEAD OF LAST YEAR  
AND 2 DAYS AHEAD OF THE AVERAGE. SEVENTEEN PERCENT OF THE SOYBEAN  
CROP HAS EMERGED, 2 DAYS AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND 2 DAYS AHEAD OF THE  
AVERAGE.  
 
SEVENTY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THE EXPECTED OAT CROP HAS BEEN PLANTED, 3  
DAYS AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND EQUAL TO THE AVERAGE. FIFTY-TWO PERCENT  
OF THE OAT CROP HAS EMERGED, 3 DAYS AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND EQUAL TO  
THE AVERAGE. OAT CONDITION WAS 87 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT.  
 
POTATO PLANTING WAS REPORTED AS 83 PERCENT COMPLETE, 4 DAYS AHEAD OF  
LAST YEAR AND 1 DAY AHEAD OF THE AVERAGE.  
 
WINTER WHEAT CONDITION WAS RATED 84 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT  
STATEWIDE, UP 2 PERCENT FROM LAST WEEK.  
 
ALL HAY CONDITION WAS REPORTED 78 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT  
STATEWIDE, UP 2 PERCENT FROM LAST WEEK.  
 
PASTURE CONDITION WAS RATED 76 GOOD TO EXCELLENT STATEWIDE, UP 14  
PERCENT FROM LAST WEEK.  
 
.FIRE HAZARDS:  
 
AS OF THE MORNING OF MAY 24, THERE WAS MODERATE (FIRES START EASILY  
AND SPREAD AT A MODERATE RATE) FIRE DANGER IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA  
AND IN ADAMS, CLARK, CRAWFORD, GRANT, JACKSON, JUNEAU, MONROE,  
RICHLAND, TAYLOR, AND VERNON COUNTIES IN WESTERN WISCONSIN.  
 
ELSEWHERE, THERE WAS LOW (FIRES ARE NOT EASILY STARTED FIRE DANGER)  
FIRE DANGER.  
 
NOTE: THIS IS TIME-SENSITIVE AND CONDITIONS COULD CHANGE FROM DAY TO  
DAY. FIRE CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE DRASTICALLY ON DRIER, WINDY DAYS.  
UPDATED DNR FIRE CONDITIONS CAN BE FOUND VIA LINKS TO THE RIGHT.  
 
CITIZENS SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS IN THEIR AREA  
BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY OUTSIDE BURNING. CITIZENS ARE LIABLE FOR  
DAMAGES AND SUPPRESSION COSTS OF ANY WILDFIRE THEY MAY START.  
 
.DROUGHT MITIGATION ACTIONS:  
 
NONE REPORTED.  
 
.PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOKS:  
 
FROM MAY 25 THROUGH MAY 31, TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL AND  
PRECIPITATION WILL BE BELOW NORMAL. DURING THIS TIME FRAME, DAILY  
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM 60 TO 65°F, AND PRECIPITATION  
AVERAGES AROUND 1.1 INCHES.  
 
BEYOND THIS TIME FRAME, THE 8 TO 14-DAY FORECAST (JUNE 1-7) FROM THE  
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) IS CALLING FOR ENHANCED CHANCES OF  
ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW-NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE DAILY  
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR THIS PERIOD RANGE FROM 63 TO 68°F AND THE  
NORMAL PRECIPITATION IS AROUND 1.2 INCHES.  
 
FROM JUNE THROUGH AUGUST, THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER HAS EQUAL  
CHANCES OF WARMER-, NEAR-, AND COLDER-THAN-NORMAL FOR THE UPPER  
MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. AS FAR AS PRECIPITATION, THE ODDS ARE  
TILTED TOWARD WETTER-THAN-NORMAL IN GRANT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST  
WISCONSIN AND EQUAL CHANCES FOR WETTER-, NEAR-, AND DRIER-THAN-  
NORMAL ELSEWHERE. SEASONAL TEMPERATURES TYPICALLY AVERAGE FROM 65  
TO 75°F (WARMEST IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY, NORTHEAST IOWA,  
AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN), AND PRECIPITATION RANGES FROM 12 TO 15  
INCHES (HIGHEST IN NORTHEAST IOWA, SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA, AND  
SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN).  
.NEXT ISSUANCE DATE:  
 
THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED ON THURSDAY, JUNE 15.  
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS MAY BE FOUND  
AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES:  
 
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR: HTTPS://WWW.DROUGHTMONITOR.UNL.EDU/  
U.S. DROUGHT PORTAL: HTTPS://DROUGHT.GOV/  
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC): HTTPS://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/  
MIDWESTERN REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTER: HTTPS://MRCC.ISWS.ILLINOIS.EDU/  
WISCONSIN STATE CLIMATOLOGY OFFICE: HTTPS://WWW.AOS.WISC.EDU/~SCO/  
MINNESOTA CLIMATOLOGY WORKING GROUP: HTTPS://CLIMATEAPPS.DNR.STATE.  
MN.US/INDEX.HTM  
IOWA CLIMATOLOGY BUREAU: HTTPS://WWW.IOWAAGRICULTURE.GOV/  
CLIMATOLOGY.ASP  
 
ADDITIONAL WATER AND RIVER INFORMATION:  
NWS: HTTPS://WATER.WEATHER.GOV/  
OWP: HTTPS://WATER.NOAA.GOV/  
U.S. GEOLOGIC SURVEY (USGS): HTTPS://WATER.USGS.GOV/  
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE): HTTPS://WWW.MVP.USACE.ARMY.MIL/  
 
.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:  
 
THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING  
NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NATIONAL CENTERS FOR  
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE  
(USDA), STATE AND REGIONAL CLIMATOLOGISTS, AND THE NATIONAL  
DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER. INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT WAS  
GATHERED FROM NWS AND FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA)  
OBSERVATION SITES, STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICES,  
USACE AND USGS.  
 
.CONTACT INFORMATION:  
 
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT  
STATEMENT, PLEASE CONTACT:  
 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  
N2788 COUNTY ROAD FA  
LA CROSSE, WI 54601  
PHONE: 608-784-7294  
EMAIL: W-ARX.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV  
 
 
BOYNE  
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