Drought conditions continue to expand in Iowa, covering nearly 88 percent of the state. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says rainfall in western Iowa over the last six months is as much as a foot below normal — and in Iowa’s extreme drought region last week’s derecho dropped between a half inch to an inch of rain. But a one-time storm isn’t much help.

The latest drought report classifies new areas of southern Iowa as abnormally dry and parts of northeast Iowa as moderately dry. Extreme drought conditions are reported in all or part of a dozen west central counties, including the cities of Carroll, Jefferson and Audubon.