For months, most or all of the KVOE listening area has been listed as abnormally dry by the US Drought Monitor. Now most of the area is in the next level of drought.
The most recent update from the Drought Monitor puts most of Lyon County, including Emporia, in moderate drought — along with all of Chase and Morris counties, northwest Greenwood County and far southwest Wabaunsee County. The rest of the KVOE listening area is still abnormally dry.
There has been a rapid expansion of moderate drought across the central third of Kansas just over the last week, with moderate drought staying north of Interstate 70 and west of Interstate 135 in the previous report. Just two weeks ago, the south half of Chase County was drought-free before going to abnormally dry last week.
Aside from four different snowfall events in January and February, which led to around a foot of total snowfall areawide, there has not been much precipitation. The KVOE studios have reported 0.90 inches of rain since Jan. 1, all coming in March and including 0.10 inches of rain from storms Thursday.
