LINCOLN, Neb. — Widespread rainfall across Kansas during the final week of May brought welcome relief to drought-stricken areas of the state, according to the latest National Drought Summary released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Storm systems delivered soaking rains across much of the High Plains region, with some of the heaviest precipitation falling in Kansas and Nebraska. The moisture helped improve drought conditions across large portions of Kansas, where persistent dry weather had affected agricultural producers and water supplies earlier this spring.
The report noted that while the rainfall was beneficial, it coincided with much above-normal temperatures across the region. Those warmer conditions increased evaporation rates and moisture demand, limiting some of the overall gains from the precipitation.
Even so, drought reductions were reported across much of Kansas and eastern Nebraska as rainfall totals outpaced moisture losses. Areas receiving the most significant precipitation saw the greatest improvements in drought status.
The High Plains region experienced a mix of weather conditions during the week. Portions of the Dakotas, far northern Nebraska and other areas that missed out on the heaviest rainfall saw drought conditions worsen due to continued dryness and elevated temperatures.
Nationally, weather patterns featured strong ridging over the central United States, with troughs positioned over both the western and eastern portions of the country. The pattern produced cooler-than-normal temperatures in parts of the Southwest, New England and the Mid-Atlantic, while much of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest experienced above-normal warmth.
For Kansas producers, the recent rains provide a boost heading into the summer growing season, although continued precipitation will be needed in many areas to fully replenish soil moisture and sustain crop development through the hotter months ahead.
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, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map data courtesy of NDMC.