New Glarus and much of southern Wisconsin have been identified by federal forecasters as an area at risk for both extreme heat and rapid drought development in the coming days, raising concerns for farmers, gardeners and anyone watching the region's crops emerge from the ground.

The outlook comes at a critical time for local agriculture, as corn and soybean fields across Green County continue to emerge following a spring planting season that got off to a later-than-normal start.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center, southern Wisconsin sits within a broad area where a combination of warm temperatures and below-normal rainfall could lead to what forecasters call "rapid onset drought," sometimes referred to as a flash drought.

Unlike traditional droughts that develop gradually over months, flash droughts can take hold in a matter of weeks when heat, wind and a lack of rainfall quickly deplete soil moisture.