U.S. Drought Monitor, Courtesy
KEARNEY — There was no changes to the ongoing drought conditions across the Tri-Cities per the latest U.S. Drought Monitor update. Rainfall last month showed a bias toward the eastern part of the National Weather Service – Hastings area.
While drought conditions have somewhat dissipated since the spring, there remains pockets of areas in need of rain.
An area of exceptional drought, D4, conditions remain over portions of Nance, Merrick and nearly all of Hamilton counties.
Buffalo County is nearly split down the middle with severe drought, D2, conditions in the west and moderate drought, D1, conditions in the east.
Hall and Adams counties are almost fully under extreme drought, D3, conditions.
The U.S. Drought Monitor provided an update for the several states in the region, “Eastern parts of the High Plains saw the benefits of this week’s precipitation along with below-normal temperatures. Kansas saw heavy precipitation continue from last week, bringing further improvements to the east and central regions.”
“Some improvements occurred along parts of the Nebraska-South Dakota border. Both southeast and northeast South Dakota saw improvement from heavy rainfall and improving soil moisture,” the Drought Monitor stated, “Little precipitation was received further north. Continual soil moisture and streamflow impacts led to D1 and D2 expansions.”
Rainfall last month was highly variable across the NWS Hastings area, with the higher totals favoring the northern and eastern counties. The driest totals were found in the near center of the warning area.
The Tri-Cities Airports official July rainfall was as follow:
- Grand Island – 3.35 inches, 95 percent of normal and the 49th wettest on record
- Hastings – 1.54 inches, 43 percent of normal, 25th driest on record
- Kearney – 2.44 inches, 73 percent of normal, 54th driest on record
The areas that saw the highest rainfall totals were Waco, 9.14 inches; North Loup, 8.27 inches; McCool Junction, 8.20 inches; Elba, 7.52 inches; Ord, 7.48 inches; Stromsburg, 7.42 inches and Fairmont, 7.34 inches.
The driest areas were Red Cloud, 1.15 inches; Nelson, 1.36 inches; Superior, 1.43 inches; Kenesaw, 1.42 inches; Minden, 1.51 inches and Hildreth, 1.72 inches.
For reference, normal July precipitation totals across the area range from 3.20 inches to 4.50 inches, with the higher totals favoring northern Kansas.
Looking ahead, the stretch of extremely hot and dry weather could cause drought conditions to worsen.
Per the Drought Monitor, “a heat wave will build over the southern and central U.S. into the Midwest. Daytime highs are expected to be 10-20 degrees above normal in some places, equating to highs near 100 degrees in places such as the upper Midwest.”
