Quad Cities, IA/IL – The latest U.S. Drought Monitor update released Thursday shows moderate drought expanding across portions of northeastern Iowa, particularly from the Cedar Rapids area northwestward. The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities says the rest of eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois and northeast Missouri saw little to no change from last week’s report.
According to the drought update, much of the region continues to experience dry conditions, with pockets of abnormally dry (D0) and moderate drought (D1) persisting. While some improvement was noted earlier in the season, recent weeks have trended drier across northeastern Iowa, leading to the latest D1 expansion.
Weekend weather conditions are expected to remain mainly dry, limiting short-term relief for soil moisture, rivers and agricultural areas. Fire danger is not expected to be elevated, but the Weather Service notes ongoing dryness may continue to slowly impact fields, lawns and shallow water sources.
Looking ahead, forecasters say the region will see a couple of chances for helpful precipitation early and late next week, which could bring some modest improvement if rainfall amounts are sufficient. However, long-term drought relief will require multiple rounds of steady, widespread precipitation.
Communities across Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, the Quad Cities, Galesburg and northeast Missouri are encouraged to monitor local forecasts as incoming systems develop.
