Drought — Fillmore, Nebraska

2024-05-01 to 2024-05-06 · Fillmore, Nebraska

Wider weather episode

May 2024 marked a welcome milestone in recent drought history across the 24-county South Central Nebraska area. Although some coverage of less-serious drought categories remained per the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), the entire domain was cleared of Severe Drought (D2) for the first time in 27 months (since Feb. 2022). Going hand in hand, May actually marked the sixth-consecutive month that at least a slight majority of the area measured above normal precipitation (see below for more detailed monthly precipitation info). Focusing on county-level USDM drought category specifics during the month, May opened with roughly 53 percent of the 24-county area assigned anywhere from D0 (Abnormally Dry) to D2, with a more detailed breakdown as follows: 1) D2 encompassed around 15% of the area and at least portions of seven eastern counties (including most of Fillmore/Clay/York/Thayer)...2) Moderate Drought (D1) comprised roughly 26% of the domain (almost entirely within counties along/east of Highway 281)...3) Roughly 12% of the area was assigned D0 (including most of Adams/Hamilton counties)...4) The remaining approximately 47% of South Central Nebraska featured drought-free D-nothing (including several western and far northern counties). As the month got underway, the momentous removal of D2 from the seven eastern counties occurred early-on...with the May 7th USDM issuance. Subsequent weekly updates brought only slight reductions in the areal coverage of D0/D1, but improvements nonetheless. At month's end, roughly 41% of the area was assigned either D0 or D1...almost entirely within counties along/east of Highway 281. A more specific breakdown stood as follows: 1) D1 only constituted around 16% of South Central Nebraska (including most of Fillmore/Clay/Adams/Thayer counties)...2) Roughly 25% of the domain hung onto D0...3) The remaining approximately 59% of the 24-county area boasted drought-free D-nothing.

Turning to May 2024 rainfall details, for South Central Nebraska as a whole it was overall good news for the sixth-straight month. Putting numbers to it, approximately three-fourths of the area picked up above normal precipitation (meaning at least roughly 4.37), including roughly one-fifth of the 24-county domain seeing at least 150% of normal. The very-highest totals concentrated within counties north of Interstate 80, and also within far western and far southern local counties. Meanwhile, the roughly one-fourth of the area that received below normal rainfall was primarily focused within counties along Highway 6 east of the Minden area, along with mainly southern sections of Hamilton and York counties. However, even in these below normal locales, it was not bone dry either, as most places measured at least 3-4 (at least 70% of normal). Per around 175 NWS and NeRAIN/CoCoRaHS observers, some of the very-highest monthly tallies featured: 9.60 in Dannebrog. 8.84 in St. Paul (3rd-wettest May on record out of 125 years), 8.63 near Shelby (2nd-wettest May out of 30 years), and 8.32 near Palmer. On the comparatively drier side of things, a few of the lowest May tallies included: 3.12 in York, 3.66 at Kenesaw, 3.70 eight miles south of Elwood, and 3.73 near Ohiowa in extreme southeastern Fillmore County. Putting some perspective on the cumulative drought improvement within South Central Nebraska over the last six months (Dec. 2023-May 2024), the area went from having around 80% of places assigned D0 to D4 (Exceptional) categories in early-December (including around 40% D3-D4)...to completely eliminating D2-D4 and having only around 41% of the domain assigned less-serious D0-D1 categories by late-May. Specifically at Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI), total precipitation spanning Dec. 2023-May 2024 was 16.74...a respectable 5.94 above normal/155% of normal.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1175608. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.