Kansas weekly drought update and climate report for June 12–18, 2024
By MATTHEW SITTEL
Assistant State Climatologist at Kansas State University
The warmest temperatures so far this year were observed during the past week. The average daily temperature across the Kansas Mesonet was above normal on all seven days of the period. The 13th was the hottest day, with the statewide average high temperature reaching 99°, and over half of the Mesonet sites registering highs of at least 100°. The co-operative observer in Hays recorded a high of 110° that afternoon. This stands as not only the week’s but also the year's hottest temperature to date. Notably, this was the earliest 110° reading at Hays on record, occurring 11 days earlier than the previous record set in 2012. A few daily records were set, including Minneapolis at 105° and Beloit at 104°. Lows were mostly in the 60s, with some warmer lows in the 70s. On the 17th, every Mesonet site in the state recorded a low in the 70s, a rare occurrence last seen nearly 18 years ago on July 30, 2006. Back in 2006, there were just 14 Mesonet sites in operation versus the present count of 85 sites.
The 7-day average temperature across Kansas was 80.3°, or 6.0° above normal. All nine climate divisions were above normal, with departures ranging from +4.7° in south-central to +7.9° in both northwest and west-central Kansas. There was an average of 186 growing degree days across the state, based on Kansas Mesonet data, which is 26 above normal. Divisional totals ranged from 178 in northwest to 196 in southeast Kansas, with departures ranging from +18 in south-central to +35 in northwest Kansas. For the growing season to date, which began on April 1st, there has been an average of 1238 growing degree days in Kansas, 115 above the normal total of 1123. Departures for the growing season range from +106 in northwest to +152 in south-central Kansas. There was an average of 53 corn stress degree days during the period across the state. The average since April 1 for the state is 88. Southwest Kansas has the highest average for the growing season to date at 149, while southeast Kansas’ average is the lowest at 33.
The most significant rainfall during the period fell from the 15th into the 16th in northeast Kansas, an area that has seen multiple rounds of heavy rain in the past month. At least one CoCoRaHS observer in seven different counties measured at least two inches of rain: Morris, Geary, Riley, Marshall, Pottawatomie, Nemaha, and Jackson. The highest total for the 24-hour period ending at 7 AM on the 16th was 3.58” in Pottawatomie County southeast of Blaine. Eight additional counties in the northeast quarter of the state had at least one report of over one inch of rain. Far southeastern Kansas was the driest area of the state during the period. All CoCoRaHS observers in Montgomery, Labette, Cherokee, Neosho, Crawford, Allen, and Bourbon Counties recorded no rainfall. Other parts of the state were dry as well, but totals in these areas varied somewhat. There was only a trace of rain in both Goodland and Olathe (Johnson County Industrial), and the official total for Wichita was just 0.01”. Other low totals include Winfield (0.02”), Lawrence (0.03”), Garden City (0.07”), and Emporia (0.10”).
There was one tornado during the period, the first reported in the state this month. The tornado was sighted in Ford County near Ensign. There were 85 reports of severe hail 1” or greater in diameter during the period, with 17 reports of significant hail at least 2” in diameter. The largest hail report was 3.5” in Manhattan (Riley County) on the 13th, causing damage to buildings and vehicles on the Kansas State University campus. There were 65 reports of severe wind gusts 58 mph or higher, with eight reports at or above hurricane force (74 mph). The highest gust was 83 mph, recorded by the Kansas Mesonet tower in Seward County near Satanta on the evening of the 18th.
The statewide average precipitation for the 7-day period was 0.61”, or 62% of the weekly normal amount of 0.98”. The highest divisional total was 2.00” in northeast Kansas, followed by 1.10” in north-central Kansas. These were the only two divisions with above normal precipitation this past week. Southeast Kansas was driest at 0.08”, followed by west-central (0.29”) and northwest (0.35”) Kansas. Since April 1st, the average precipitation across Kansas is 9.01”, or 90% of the normal amount of 10.05”. The three eastern divisions remain above normal, with southeast (+1.98”) and northeast (+1.90”) Kansas the most above normal. Southwest Kansas is the driest division (5.01”), but central Kansas remains the most below normal (-2.77”). Since January 1st, the average statewide precipitation is 12.28”, 89% of normal, or a departure of –1.52”. Four divisions are above normal for the year: the three eastern divisions plus northwest Kansas. West-central Kansas fell to below normal this week (98%, down 5%). Departures for the year to date range from -3.77” in south-central Kansas to +1.45” in southeast Kansas.
The average evapotranspiration for grass across the state, based on Kansas Mesonet data, for the week was 1.90”. This is slightly above the 10-year normal (2014 to 2023) of 1.82” for the 7-day period. Divisional averages ranged from 1.65” in east-central to 2.11” in southwest Kansas. The statewide average 2” soil temperature across the Kansas Mesonet for the period was 78.4°, or 1.2° above normal.
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In this week’s US Drought Monitor update, there were a few small areas with one-category improvements in parts of southwest, west-central, and north-central Kansas. These improvements resulted in towns such as Johnson City, Leoti, and Clay Center returning to drought-free status. New areas of D0 were introduced in southeast Kansas as well as on the south side of the Kansas City metropolitan area, including Lawrence and Olathe. The statewide Drought Severity and Coverage Index (DSCI) fell 2 points to 97. A total of 45% of the state is now drought-free, an increase of 2% since last week. The percentage of Kansas in D2 or worse drought status is unchanged this week at 9%.
The Weather Prediction Center’s 7-day precipitation forecast, valid for the period June 19th through the 25th, calls for below normal precipitation across most of the state. A stripe of near to slightly above normal precipitation extends from northeast to south-central Kansas, in conjunction with storms in progress at the end of the report period. Temperatures during the period are expected to average slightly above normal. The average daily high and low across Kansas for this period are 88° and 64°. Average 7-day precipitation is 0.69” in western Kansas, 0.93” in central Kansas, and 1.19” in eastern Kansas. The 8 to 14-day outlook, valid for the period June 26th through July 2nd, favors above normal temperatures statewide, with probabilities ranging from 60 to 70% across the state. There are slightly elevated chances of above normal precipitation in southeast Kansas, with near normal precipitation favored across the remainder of the state. Looking even further ahead, the outlook for the 14-day period from June 29th to July 12th suggests above normal temperatures will persist into next month, with near normal precipitation expected.