Recent rounds of rainfall and snow continue to eat away at a drought that has impacted the majority of Iowa since last summer.

While conditions have improved significantly locally throughout the winter, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor Report, there are still significant issues related to moisture as approximately 80% of the state remains drier than normal.

State Climatologist Justin Glisan says each passing snowstorm this season has helped, although many of the systems have had sharp cutoffs from heavier snow and mixed precipitation to nothing at all. While more snow is ultimately a good thing for drought, it’s not as impactful as a heavy spring rain, he says.

This week, a major winter storm is expected to impact the northern 1/3rd of Iowa and most of the upper Midwest, with snow, sleet, and freezing rain all possible north of Highway 30 through Friday, and colder air and winds impacting travel. Locally, light to moderate rain is possible Wednesday but south central Iowa will miss out on any major winter precipitation, according to the National Weather Service.