While needed rain appears to be on the horizon, drought conditions are worsening locally. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor Report, extreme drought has spread to all of Warren County and additional portions of Marion County, including Pleasantville and just south of Knoxville. The third worst category on the national report is also spreading into Polk County, and has been in place for some time in Lucas and Monroe Counties. Also, there is now severe drought in place in the rest of the area otherwise. Some relief may be in line starting mainly on Christmas Eve, as many local communities could see upwards of 1-2″ of rain over the two days of the holiday. But, after the potential Christmas precipitation, another dry spell is expected into the beginning of the new year, according to the National Weather Service.