Recent dry conditions could lead to a ‘flash drought’ in eastern Iowa, western Illinois

QUAD CITIES, Iowa/Ill. (KWQC) - the recent lack of rain and warmer temperatures has raised the red flag for the possibility of a “flash drought.”

It’s not a term used a lot in the Quad Cities, but a flash drought is the rapid onset or intensification of drought. The term was coined in the early 2000s.

Lower than normal rates of precipitation, along with abnormally high temperatures, winds and radiation can lead to drought conditions developing.

In fact, the Climate Prediction Center has a good chunk of the TV6 viewing area outlined for rapid onset drought risk in the next 8 to 14 days.

As of May 23, there are only a few spots in the TV6 viewing area in the “abnormally dry” category of the Drought Monitor.

It’s these areas where drought conditions are expected to get worse over the next couple of weeks, with drought conditions expected to pop-up quickly farther east.

The overall pattern the next couple weeks is drier than normal.

If rain doesn’t fall soon in the QC, we could be dealing with a lot of crop issues heading into the summer months.

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