The latest climate perspectives from the National Weather Service offices in Topeka and Wichita note recent improvements but still expect drought to continue through at least the rest of the year.
The Topeka offices’ packet shows equal chances of above-normal or below-normal temperatures and precipitation for the rest of December, while the Wichita packet indicates there could be continued improvement through January.
Cottonwood Falls, a featured town in the Wichita packet, reported a slightly drier than average November and a slightly wetter than average fall season. However, it’s still over 10 inches below normal for the year — which is setting up as the city’s driest since 2012 and the 26th driest on record.
Soil moisture still remains in a deficit of about 2-3 inches areawide. Topsoil moisture is over 50 percent short to very short, according to the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service. For crop conditions, wheat is 32 percent poor to very poor. Pasture and range conditions are almost 55 percent poor to very poor.
Streamflow, a concern this summer when extreme and exceptional drought covered much of the area, is now good areawide.
The US Drought Monitor now shows the KVOE listening area in abnormally dry to moderate drought, an improvement over the past month, where severe drought was commonplace.
Graphics courtesy National Weather Service Topeka
Graphics courtesy National Weather Service Wichita
