Drought remains in place largely the same across south central Iowa, according to the latest national weekly report. Most of Marion and Warren Counties remain in severe conditions, with the rest of the area rated as moderate on the U.S. Drought Monitor. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says this round of dry conditions is largely short-term locally, and it’s harder to have the longer, more extreme drought seen in the U.S. West due to common weather systems that pass through Iowa and the Midwest. The next best chance for precipitation will come late Saturday into Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, but no moderate or heavy rainfall is expected.