(Radio Iowa) – A new map from the U-S Drought Monitor shows almost half of Iowa is considered abnormally dry, while parts of three counties are now in moderate drought. Earlier this week, the state climatologist said Iowa’s in a snow drought, as January snowfall was about six inches below normal.

While months of dry weather triggered a drought resurgence in October, conditions in January improved slightly by comparison, as drought watches and moderate drought designations in eastern Iowa were removed. Still, there’s declining soil moisture, and January is typically Iowa’s driest month of the year.

The new drought map shows some 45-percent of the state’s abnormally dry, including much of eastern and southern Iowa along with a small patch in the northwest. That’s also where parts of Lyon, Sioux and Plymouth counties have fallen into moderate drought.