Severe drought has expanded into parts of Lyon and Chase counties in the latest report from the US Drought Monitor — and extreme drought is now into the KVOE listening area further to the south.
Severe drought is now into southern Lyon County south of Hartford and Olpe. It’s also in southeast Chase County and it’s in far southern Coffey County in the report announced Thursday morning.
Extreme drought, the next level of increasing drought status, is now across Greenwood County essentially from Hamilton to the south.
Moderate drought remains across much of the KVOE listening area, including most of the south half of Lyon County, most of Chase County and almost all of Coffey County. Abnormally dry conditions are essentially north of Interstate 35 and US Highway 50.
The drought update comes after the north half of the KVOE listening area got heavy rainfall Saturday, with many locations receiving over an inch of rain and some locations receiving almost three inches of rain. Areas south of I-35 and US Highway 50 were largely dry.
Thursday’s rain — anywhere from half an inch to an inch areawide — comes too late to adjust the map for this week. Data collection ends Tuesdays for the updates announced Thursdays.
