While most of the region has been out of drought conditions since late May, remaining locations that have been rated as abnormally dry saw improvement in the latest update.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor Report, all of Marion County has returned to normal conditions for the first time since 2020. Warren County also remained in normal conditions in the latest update, marking the third consecutive week in which drought was not present. Neighboring counties to the south and east continue to face abnormally dry conditions, as the majority of Lucas, Mahaska, and Monroe counties face the lowest rating on the national scale. Rainfall that came through South Central Iowa later this past week missed the 8 am cutoff on Tuesday, and will be included in the next update.

According to the National Weather Service, sunny and dry conditions return to the forecast this weekend, with the next best chance for widespread rainfall coming on Tuesday.