June 2025 precipitation amounts across south central Nebraska, (NWS Hastings, Courtesy)
KEARNEY — When it rains it pours, parts of central Nebraska saw their wettest June on record with some areas recording over 12 inches of rainfall.
According to the National Weather Service – Hastings, much of the area was much wetter for most of their region, with most areas recording around 3.50 inches to 10.50 inches. The overall wettest areas were north of Interstate 80.
The wettest areas in central Nebraska included Loup City, 12.87 inches; Elba, 12.81 inches; two miles northwest of Grand Island, 12.58 inches, North Loup, 12.12 inches, which was the wettest June out of 128 years on record.
The driest areas included four miles south of Shickley, 2.36 inches; Hebron, 2.46 inches; Cambridge 2.63 inches; Deshler, 2.68 inches and four miles northeast of Byron, 2.98 inches.
The Tri-City airports recorded the following last month:
- Grand Island, 11.36 inches, the second wettest June out of 130 years on record and wettest since 1967
- Hastings, 5.44 inches, 31st wettest June of 130 and wettest since 2018
- Kearney, 7.84 inches, 11th wettest June of 130 and wettest since 2014
For reference, normal June precipitation across most the NWS Hastings forecast area ranges from 3.60 to 4.20 inches, generally lower in the west and higher in the east.
Drought conditions across Nebraska were mitigated thanks to the abundance of rainfall last month. “Drought coverage and intensity continued its decline throughout the Great Plains since the spring with additional heavy rainfall during the first week of July,” per the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“Another round of heavy rainfall (1 to 2 inches, locally more) supported a 1-category improvement to parts of the Northern and Central Great Plains. April through early July is a wet time of year and 90-day precipitation, valid April 9-July 7, averaged more than 150 percent of normal for much of the Dakotas, Nebraska, eastern Colorado, and eastern Wyoming,” per the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Drought conditions across Nebraska as of July 8, (U.S. Drought Monitor, Courtesy)
