Recent dryness has led to a notable expansion of abnormally dry conditions, both across the KVOE listening area and the state of Kansas as a whole.
Aside from southwest Chase and central Osage counties, the entire KVOE listening area is now abnormally dry, according to the US Drought Monitor. This reflects an expansion across almost all of Chase, northwest Greenwood and eastern Morris counties.
Abnormally dry conditions, seen across far west and northwest Kansas last week, now covers most of Kansas. There was also an increase in moderate, severe and extreme drought in far west Kansas from last week to Thursday.
The latest rain came Sunday, with as much as 0.50 inches of rain — and damaging hail — along US Highway 56 in north-central and northeast Lyon County. South of that storm track, residents got anywhere from a trace to 0.20 inches. The KVOE studios received two inches of rain last month, but almost all of that — 1.9 inches — came by Sept. 11.
