Drought — Mitchell, Kansas

2024-03-01 to 2024-03-31 · Mitchell, Kansas

Wider weather episode

Following three straight months of widespread above normal precipitation within North Central Kansas, March 2024 featured more of a variable/mixed bag situation precipitation-wise, as small portions of five of the six counties held onto Severe Drought (D2) throughout the month as assigned by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). In fact, March marked the 26th-consecutive month with at least D2 drought plaguing parts of the area. But focusing on the positive, and despite at least a slight majority of the area registering below normal March precipitation, limited portions of the domain actually saw a one-category improvement in drought category during the month...with no degradation (see below for more detailed monthly precipitation info). Focusing on March county-level USDM drought specifics, the month opened with roughly 90 percent of the six-county area assigned categories ranging from D0 (Abnormally Dry) to D2, with a more detailed breakdown as follows: 1) A few splotches of D2 nicked at least small portions of five of the six counties (except Phillips), but only constituted around 5% of the total domain)...2) Moderate Drought (D1) covered roughly 44% of North Central Kansas, including the majority of Jewell/Mitchell/Rooks counties...3) D0 resided across roughly 41% of the area, including the majority of Smith and Osborne counties...4) the remaining approximately 10% of the area (entirely within northern Phillips/Smith counties) was assigned drought-free D-nothing. Over the course of the month, the first two USDM issuances had no change whatsoever. However, the final two March issuances featured one-category improvements (albeit limited in scope), cumulatively impacting roughly 10% of the six-county area. As a result of these changes, the end-of-March drought breakdown stood as follows: 1) D2 was still present, but for merely about 4% of the area (following a very slight reduction over western Rooks County)...2) coverage of D1 decreased slightly to around 37% of the domain (still including sizeable portions of Jewell/Mitchell/Rooks)...3) coverage of D0 also decreased slightly to around 35% of North Central Kansas...4) due to the aforementioned reductions in D0-D2, there was a corresponding increase in the areal coverage of D-nothing...now up to around 24% of the area (including at least half of Smith/Phillips counties).

Turning to March 2024 precipitation details, this month ended a streak of three-straight months that featured overall-excellent news, but on the flip side, most areas were not bone dry either. More specifically, around 60% of the six-county domain registered at least slightly below normal precipitation (meaning less than roughly 1.45). Fortunately though, only about 10% of the area (primarily in southern Mitchell County) picked up less than half of normal amounts, as the majority of the area measured between 0.80-2.25 (140-205% of normal). Of the roughly 40% of the area that saw at least slightly above normal precipitation, it primarily concentrated within Smith, Phillips and southern Rooks counties. Per around 30 NWS and CoCoRaHS observers, some of the very-lowest measured totals included: 0.57 ten miles south-southwest of Beloit, 0.60 ten miles east of Hunter and 0.73 five miles south-southwest of Scottsville. On the more fortunate end of the rain gauge, a few of the highest known March amounts featured: 2.74 near Plainville, 2.54 in Smith Center and 2.28 in Lebanon. On one final note, longer-term precipitation deficits remained firmly intact within parts of North Central Kansas. This included the NWS Cooperative Observer in Beloit, which totaled only 61.92 over the three-year stretch from April 2021-March 2024...25.32 below normal/71% of normal.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1162163. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.