Central Midwest at Risk of Flash Drought Due to Dry Weather

Parts of the Chicago metropolitan area, especially in the western and southern parts of the city and suburbs, have not seen an “appreciable rainfall” since early April, and as a result, there are growing concerns that a drought could soon take hold. Officials cited measurements of soil moisture at four inches and eight inches into the ground, as well as the streamflow rates of area rivers, in issuing an alert that a “flash drought” could potentially be imminent. If no rain falls by the end of the month, May 2023 will be the second-driest month of May on record, eclipsed only by May 1992, according to NWS data.