848  
AXUS73 KDVN 212016  
DGTDVN  
IAC011-019-031-045-055-057-061-087-095-097-101-103-105-107-111-113-  
115-139-163-177-183-ILC011-015-067-071-073-085-109-131-155-161-177-  
187-195-MOC045-199-222030-  
 
DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL  
316 PM CDT THU MAR 21 2013  
   
..DROUGHT CONDITIONS IMPROVE  
BUT LACK OF SUBSOIL MOISTURE  
REMAINS A CONCERN FOR AGRICULTURE IN SOME AREAS...  
 
SYNOPSIS...  
 
ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION THIS WINTER AND SO FAR IN MARCH HAS  
RESULTED IN IMPROVEMENT TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA.  
 
LOCAL AREA AFFECTED...  
 
ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS PREVAIL ACROSS EASTERN IOWA AND PARTS  
OF NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...BUT WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS IS NOW DROUGHT  
FREE.  
 
SOME KNOWN IMPACTS IN THE LOCAL AREA...  
 
LOCAL/STATE/FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTIONS...CHECK WITH SPECIFIC  
AGENCIES FOR UP TO DATE DETAILS.  
 
NO NEW REPORTS.  
 
SOIL MOISTURE CONDITIONS.  
 
THE VERY TOP LAYER OF SOIL IS SATURATED BUT STILL FROZEN MAINLY  
NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. SUBSOIL MOISTURE REMAINS LOW NORTH OF  
I-80...BUT REPORTS OF DRAIN TILES RUNNING SOUTH OF I-80 SUGGEST  
SUBSOIL MOISTURE HAS IMPROVED IN THAT AREA.  
 
AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS.  
 
NO REPORTS.  
 
RIVER AND STREAM FLOW CONDITIONS.  
 
RIVER LEVELS ARE NEAR NORMAL AT MOST LOCATIONS BUT ARE GENERALLY  
FALLING QUICKLY.  
 
GROUND WATER IMPACTS.  
 
NO NEW REPORTS.  
 
FIRE DANGER IMPACTS.  
 
ALTHOUGH RECENT PRECIPITATION AND SNOW COVER HAS LIMITED THE FIRE  
DANGER THREAT...AS WE MOVE THROUGH MARCH INTO APRIL...WARMER  
WEATHER TYPICALLY RESULTS IN AN INCREASE IN FIRE DANGER.  
 
ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS.  
 
NO REPORTS.  
 
WEATHER AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...  
 
CLIMATE SUMMARY.  
 
WINTER SEASON (DECEMBER-JANUARY-FEBRUARY) TEMPERATURES AVERAGED  
BETWEEN 1 AND 2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS EASTERN IOWA AND  
NORTHWEST ILLINOIS. PRECIPITATION (RAIN AND MELTED SNOW) TALLIED  
BETWEEN 5 AND 7.5 INCHES...WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 125-150 PERCENT  
OF NORMAL. IN FEBRUARY...TEMPERATURES AVERAGED AROUND 2 DEGREES  
BELOW NORMAL. WE RECEIVED BETWEEN 1.5 AND 3 INCHES OF  
PRECIPITATION...WHICH IS AROUND 100 TO 150 PERCENT OF NORMAL.  
 
SO FAR THIS MARCH...PRECIPITATION HAS TALLIED MOSTLY ABOVE NORMAL  
WITH MUCH OF THE AREA HAVING RECEIVED BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES OF RAIN  
AND/OR MELTED SNOW. TEMPERATURES ARE AVERAGING 5 TO 7 DEGREES  
BELOW NORMAL.  
 
PRECIPITATION VALUES BELOW ARE IN THIS ORDER...  
OBSERVED...NORMAL...DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL  
 
BURLINGTON  
SINCE MAR 1 1.69 1.75 -0.06  
SINCE JAN 1 5.66 4.61 1.05  
 
CEDAR RAPIDS  
SINCE MAR 1 2.26 1.28 0.98  
SINCE JAN 1 4.21 3.42 0.79  
 
DAVENPORT  
SINCE MAR 1 1.85 1.58 0.27  
SINCE JAN 1 5.55 4.11 1.44  
 
DUBUQUE  
SINCE MAR 1 2.41 1.42 0.99  
SINCE JAN 1 5.83 4.03 1.80  
 
IOWA CITY  
SINCE MAR 1 2.32 1.46 0.86  
SINCE JAN 1 4.77 3.62 1.15  
 
MOLINE-QUAD CITIES  
SINCE MAR 1 2.30 1.80 0.50  
SINCE JAN 1 7.70 4.89 2.81  
 
PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK.  
 
A STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING MOSTLY SNOW TO THE AREA THIS  
WEEKEND...OTHERWISE DRY CONDITIONS WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES  
WILL PREVAIL THROUGH NEXT WEEK.  
 
FOR WEEK TWO...MARCH 29-APRIL 4...PROBABILITIES FAVOR NEAR TO  
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION.  
 
THE SEASONAL OUTLOOK FOR APRIL...MAY...JUNE FAVORS NEAR TO ABOVE  
NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION. ENSO CONDITIONS ARE  
EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEUTRAL THROUGH THAT TIME FRAME.  
 
HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK.  
 
OTHER THAN RISES ASSOCIATED WITH PRECIPITATION OVER THE WEEKEND...  
AREAS RIVER LEVELS WILL TREND DOWNWARD THROUGH NEXT WEEK.  
 
THIS WILL BE THE FINAL ISSUANCE UNTIL DROUGHT CONDITIONS REDEVELOP.  
 
 
 
WOLF  
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