Jasper County’s Severe Drought Gets Nearly An Inch of Rain

Just under an inch of rain fell at the KCOB Studios in northeast Newton over the past 4 days. We will know later this week if that has improved our local drought conditions. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor Report released last Thursday had all of Jasper County in a severe drought. Meanwhile, extreme drought conditions are listed in parts of six neighboring counties…Poweshiek, Marion, Marshall, Tama, Polk, and Warren. Over the past 4 days…99-hundredths of an inch of rain has been recorded at our studios in the 12-hundred block of East 19th Street North. A tenth of an inch fell from Friday morning to Saturday morning. A trace…or 1 hundredth of an inch was recorded Saturday morning to Sunday morning. From early Sunday to Christmas Morning Monday…44-hundredths of an inch fell. Then another 44-hundredths of an inch was recorded from yesterday(Monday) morning to this(Tuesday) morning. As we look towards the new Year next Monday, the National Weather Service only has a 30-percent chance of snow in our local forecast  through Wednesday. Total possible snowfall over the period is expected to be less than one inch.