Drought — Sherman, Nebraska

2024-12-01 to 2024-12-31 · Sherman, Nebraska

Wider weather episode

Right on the heels of a November that brought widespread, well-above normal precipitation to South Central Nebraska, December 2024 signaled an abrupt return to the prevailing dryness that had marked most recent months. In fact, roughly three-fourths of the 24-county area registered less than half-normal December precipitation (see below for more detailed precip info). As a result, this marked the fifth-consecutive month with Severe Drought (D2) plaguing at least small portions of the area (per the U.S. Drought Monitor/USDM). Taking a closer look at county-level USDM drought category specifics within South Central Nebraska, despite the prevailing December dryness there was actually no change whatsoever in official drought status during the month. Thus, the categorical breakdown at month's end still stood as follows: 1) D2 included only around 2% of the area (entirely confined to small portions of Dawson/Sherman/Valley counties)...2) Moderate Drought (D1) encompassed the majority of the domain (around 77% of it), including all counties along and east of Highway 281...3) The remaining roughly 21% of real estate (entirely within the southwest quadrant of the area) featured best-off Abnormally Dry (D0).

Turning to December 2024 precipitation details (most of which fell as rain), truly beneficial moisture was certainly hard to come by. Not only did around 98 percent of South Central Nebraska register at least slightly below normal precipitation, but roughly 75% of locations picked up less than half-normal, and approximately 38% of the domain struggled to LESS THAN ONE-FOURTH NORMAL (normal December precipitation is around 0.83). Per data from around 150 NWS and NeRAIN/CoCoRaHS observers, there was a clear east-west disparity across the area, with the overall-highest totals found in far eastern local counties (especially along Highway 81), while several far western counties (particularly Dawson/Gosper/Phelps/Furnas/Harlan) were incredibly dry. In fact, most stations in those counties tallied no more than 0.05 for the month. Several NWS Cooperative Observer sites in that area recorded their driest December since at least 2004 or 2002, including Cambridge, Elwood 8S and Gothenburg. Farther east into central counties, totals at the official Tri Cities stations weren't much higher, ranging from 0.13-0.24. Meanwhile, some of the most respectable (albeit still below normal) December amounts in the far eastern reaches of South Central Nebraska included: 0.89 in Hebron, 0.80 at Hubbell, 0.73 near York and 0.68 near Ohiowa and in far northeastern Polk County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1222414. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.