LEXINGTON — Rainfall throughout early May helped to alleviate some of the more enhanced drought conditions across the local area, but severe drought conditions still remain.
“A complex, slow-moving storm system delivered heavy rain across much of the nation’s mid-section, but largely bypassed some of the country’s driest areas in southwestern Kansas and western Oklahoma, as well as neighboring areas,” per the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“Still, the rain broadly provided much-needed moisture for rangeland and pastures, immature winter grains, and emerging summer crops. Significant rain spread into other areas, including the southern and western Corn Belt and the mid-South, generally benefiting crops but slowing fieldwork and leaving pockets of standing water,” the U.S. Drought Monitor stated.
Locally, extreme drought, D3, conditions pulled back from the area but the updated still left all of Dawson and Gosper counties under severe drought, D2, conditions.
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Across the state, especially southwestern Nebraska, extreme and exceptional drought coverage fell from 48 percent, to 16 percent.
A good portion of eastern Nebraska remains under extreme drought conditions, with a pocket of exceptional drought in far northeastern Nebraska.
In Seward County, Nebraska, a Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) reporter said there are ponds and creeks dry that they have never seen dry, even during the drought of 2012.
Just over 86% of Nebraska is in some level of drought, but the intensity of drought is lower than it is in Kansas, with only 5% of the state in exceptional drought (in northeast Nebraska). Significant rainfall in western and central Nebraska this past week helped provide a 32% reduction in extreme drought (D3) across the state.
“During the week ending May 14, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported double-digit improvements in topsoil moisture rated very short to short in several states, including Nebraska (from 66 to 46%), South Dakota (from 38 to 19%), and Colorado (from 45 to 35%). The rain also helped to revive winter wheat and benefited emerging summer crops,” per the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“Still, even with the rain, Kansas led the nation on May 14 with 68% of its winter wheat rated in very poor to poor condition. In addition, the rampant storminess largely bypassed some of the extreme to exceptional drought (D3 to D4) areas in a strip extending from southwestern Kansas into eastern Nebraska,” the U.S. Drought Monitor stated.
Despite improvements in some areas, some states across the north central U.S., primarily Missouri River Basin states, are still experiencing drought conditions. As of May 16, 22% of the region is in some level of drought (moderate to exceptional), with the most intense conditions in Kansas and Nebraska, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Looking towards the end of May (May 26–June 1), the outlook shows a chance for above-normal temperatures to continue across the entire north central U.S.
In areas where there is little to no rainfall this could mean increased evaporative demand and loss of surface moisture. During this same time, rain could be above normal in portions of the Plains, while below normal further east in the Midwest.
The seasonal drought outlook shows that by the end of August, drought will likely remain but improve across Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. Drought impacts are likely to continue and potentially increase due to higher summer temperatures and evaporative demand.
