Drought — Sherman, Nebraska

2025-01-01 to 2025-01-31 · Sherman, Nebraska

Wider weather episode

Following widespread, well-above normal precipitation across South Central Nebraska during November 2024, January 2025 marked the second-straight month of solidly below normal precipitation. In fact, over 60 percent of the 24-county area saw less than half-normal January precipitation (see below for precipitation details). January marked the sixth-consecutive month with Severe Drought (D2) plaguing at least a small portion of the area (per the U.S. Drought Monitor/USDM). Taking a closer look at the specifics of county-level USDM drought categories within South Central Nebraska, despite the recent dryness...and largely due to winter precipitation deficits contributing less toward drought impacts compared to other times of year...there was actually almost no change whatsoever in official drought status during January. Thus, the categorical breakdown at month's end still stood as follows: 1) D2 only included 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 January 2025 precipitation details, not only did around 93% of South Central Nebraska register at least slightly below normal precipitation, but roughly 62% of locations picked up less than half-normal, and approximately 23% of the domain received LESS THAN ONE-FOURTH NORMAL (normal January precipitation ranges mainly 0.45-0.65). Per data from around 130 NWS and NeRAIN/CoCoRaHS observers, the very-driest locations were clearly found in far northern/western counties, while the very limited area of near-to-above normal totals concentrated in far southeast counties such as Thayer/Nuckolls (mainly due to an early-month snow and a late-month rain). Some of the paltriest January amounts included: 0.06 near Shelby, 0.09 near Gresham and 0.10 in/near various places including Belgrade, Genoa, Spalding, Cambridge and Ravenna. Meanwhile, highlighting the short list of near-to-above normal monthly totals were: 1.00 near Byron, 0.75 in Hubbell, 0.74 in Deshler and 0.71 in Superior.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1227923. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.