For the first time in three months, there has been notable movement on the US Drought Monitor’s weekly map. And it’s good news — for the north half of the KVOE listening area.
Areas north of a line from Americus to Lebo are now in abnormally dry conditions, along with far north Chase County and most of Morris County. Since mid-November, the weekly map had moderate drought across all of Lyon, Chase and Osage counties, as well as portions of northwest Coffey, southeast Morris and southeast Wabaunsee counties.
Changes followed over an inch of rain for most of the KVOE listening area on Feb. 9, including 1.3 inches at the KVOE studios. Light rain and snow from Wednesday night into Thursday fell after the data collection deadline Tuesday.
South of the abnormally dry area, the weekly map released Thursday has virtually no change — meaning Greenwood County still goes from moderate to exceptional drought north to south.
Statewide, nearly 40 percent of the state — mainly in southeast, south-central and west Kansas — remains in exceptional drought, the worst on the Drought Monitor scale.
