'Flash Drought' Warning as New Alert Issued in Two States

Kansas wheat field at sunset. Parts of Kansas and Oklahoma are under a flash drought watch.

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have announced that a “flash drought” is present in Kansas and Oklahoma just as a hazardous weather outlook was implemented for the area.

The flash drought warning comes just as the NWS issued a national drought outlook through July. According to the outlook, drought removal was likely throughout much of Kansas and parts of Oklahoma. The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map revealed that only 3 percent of Kansas is free from drought, with nearly 7 percent of the state struggling with severe drought and more than half struggling with moderate drought. In Oklahoma, 41 percent of the state was free from drought. Drought was concentrated in the northern part of the state along the Kansas border.

“The rapid onset or intensification of drought, known as flash drought, is ongoing in KS and now N OK. Conditions in NM remain mostly unchanged,” the NWS Arkansas-Red Basin River Forecast Center posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday morning.

Meteorologists also warned that thunderstorms were moving through the area. A hazardous weather outlook was implemented for northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas on Thursday morning, although NWS meteorologist Kevin Darmofal told Newsweek that rain was scarce in the areas battling drought.

“A few thunderstorms are possible into the early afternoon across southeast Kansas. The strongest storms will be capable of dime size hail and winds up to 50 mph,” the alert said. “Northerly winds will gust near 45 mph today across central and south central Kansas.”

Thunderstorms could return to the region by early next week.

In Oklahoma, a “scattered to broken line of thunderstorms” was expected to develop on Thursday afternoon accompanied by a cold front sweeping across the southeastern parts of the state.

“A few of these storms will likely become severe, with large hail and damaging winds being the main severe weather threats. The severe weather threat is expected to end by near or shortly after sunset,” the alert said.

“Gusty winds” also are expected to be an issue, with gusts over 30 miles per hour possible in parts of northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas.

Darmofal said that although rainfall was spotty, meteorologists are expecting an increase in precipitation as spring progresses. Some of Kansas’ wettest months are from April to June.

“There’s really no sign of any significant rainfall over the next week or so,” Darmofal said.

However, the worst of the drought was alleviated over the winter months, Darmofal said.

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