Drought Continues Across Parts of the Tri State Area as Northwest Kansas Waits for More Rain

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While parts of northwest Kansas have picked up beneficial rainfall this summer, drought conditions continue to affect much of the region. The National Weather Service in Goodland released its latest Drought Information Statement on Wednesday, showing that many local counties remain in some level of drought or abnormally dry conditions.

July rainfall varied significantly across the Tri State area. Most locations received between 2 and 4 inches of rain, but totals were very uneven. Some communities saw well above normal rainfall while others missed out almost entirely. Overall, July precipitation was generally below normal across the region.

Where does northwest Kansas stand?

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor:

• Moderate Drought is affecting Sherman, Wallace, Sheridan and Graham counties.

• Abnormally Dry conditions continue across Cheyenne, Rawlins and Logan counties.

• Areas farther north and west into Nebraska and Colorado are experiencing Severe to Extreme Drought in several counties.

What does the outlook look like?

There is some encouraging news.

For August, forecasters are giving northwest Kansas equal chances of seeing above normal, near normal or below normal precipitation. In other words, there is no strong signal pointing toward either a wet or dry month.

Looking farther ahead, the August through October precipitation outlook leans slightly toward above normal precipitation across the region. However, despite that outlook, the seasonal drought forecast still indicates that areas currently experiencing drought are expected to remain in drought through October.

Current impacts

The National Weather Service says there are currently no significant hydrologic impacts reported, but dry vegetation continues to increase wildfire concerns. On windy days with low humidity, fire danger can increase quickly across the region.

Residents are encouraged to follow any local water conservation recommendations issued by their municipality or water provider.

Learn More

For those wanting to keep up with the latest drought conditions, rainfall outlooks and climate information, additional resources are available at:

• National Weather Service Goodland Agriculture and Climate Page

• Drought.gov

• National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

NWKS Radio will continue to monitor weather conditions across northwest Kansas and provide updates on-air, online at nwksradio.net, and on our Facebook page as drought conditions and rainfall patterns change.