A multi-day stretch of widespread precipitation from May 24 to 26 has brought much-needed drought relief to several areas across the Central Plains, leading to notable improvements in drought conditions, according to recent climate monitoring reports.
Rainfall totals ranged from 1 to 3 inches across large portions of southwestern South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and northeastern Colorado, with some localized areas receiving even more. This substantial precipitation, coupled with much cooler temperatures, played a key role in recharging topsoil moisture, offering a boost to regional agriculture and ecosystems.
The latest drought analysis shows a 1-category improvement across parts of southwestern South Dakota, western and central Nebraska, and northeastern Colorado. In these areas, indicators such as the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at various time scales, along with soil moisture data, showed clear signs of recovery. As a result, areas classified under severe to extreme drought have seen a reduction in coverage.
Meanwhile, southeastern Colorado also experienced lighter rainfall. While totals were lower, multiple indicators including SPI, soil moisture, and the Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDri) suggested enough improvement to remove the last remaining areas of moderate drought from the region.
However, not all areas benefited from the recent rainfall. Southern Nebraska and northern Kansas largely missed the precipitation, leading to small 1-category degradations in drought status. Western Colorado also saw conditions worsen, with 90- to 180-day SPI data supporting a 1-category downgrade due to increasing dryness over the past several months.
With the growing season underway, continued monitoring will be crucial to determine whether these improvements mark the beginning of a sustained trend or a temporary break in ongoing drought conditions.
Here are the rainfall totals for selected locations in the area:
• Hutchinson - 1.43"
• Kingman - 3.77"
• Newton - 2.48"
• Pratt - 2.30"
• McPherson - 1.68"
• Stafford - 1.46"
• Lyons - 1.29"
Rainfall totals are for the period ending at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map data courtesy of NDMC.