By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
Rainfall totals in the state over the last three days show some reprieve from the dry, hot conditions that impacted the western portion of Kansas throughout the summer.
Although most residents welcome a break from triple-digit temperatures, according to Wichita National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Katcham, it likely will not bring the state out of drought conditions through the winter.
"When you get a drought like this, it's a slow process," Katcham said. "You don't get out of a drought just because you have a week of steady rain, showers and thunderstorms; it takes a while."
Katcham said it would likely require two to four weeks of steady rainfall to escape severe or extreme drought conditions — unlikely throughout the Kansas winter.
Katcham said the NWS suspects the winter season will begin with below-normal precipitation alongside above-normal temperatures.
"For the further, three-month outlook, (national NWS centers) are talking about seasonal normals," Katcham said. "Which doesn't bode well for helping out drought conditions."