Iowa’s statewide average temperature for the summer of 2013 was fairly close to normal, averaging 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit below normal, but precipitation deficits continue to pile up in much of the state.

This was especially true in July and August, when some locations set records for either the driest July or the driest August on record. For the two months combined, statewide total rainfall was only around 38 percent of normal and more than 5 inches below normal.

During September, some areas of Iowa did begin to receive more significant rainfall amounts, but by late in the month, only a few areas had received near normal amounts, with amounts still below normal in...