Drought in Kansas, December 1 to 31, 2012

Name: Drought in Kansas, December 1 to 31, 2012
Start: 2012-12-01T00:00
End: 2012-12-31T23:59
Location: Kansas

December 1 to 31, 2012 · NWS ICT · 25 events in 25 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 25 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 25

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ICT wrote it up.

A prolonged period of dry weather continued the drought conditions across most of Kansas during the month of December. An unusually dry period from May through October kept an extreme drought (D3) going for most of Southern Kansas. Portions of Central Kansas continued to stay very dry, with exceptional drought (D4) conditions for most of the month of December. Most areas saw little if any rainfall during the month, which led to the drought actually getting worse across South Central Kansas by the end of December.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 30, 11:49 PM CST, 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 11:49 PM CST, 11 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1149 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012

.AVIATION...06Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU
WIDESPREAD IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA
THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. INCREASINGLY MOIST SOUTHERLY
SURFACE-BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT...WITH STRATUS
AND FOG EXPANDING NORTH AND WEST ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. SOME OF
THE LOWEST CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE I-135 CORRIDOR WHICH
WILL AFFECT THE KSLN-KHUT AND KICT TAF SITES. WESTERN PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL KANSAS WILL REMAIN ON THE FRINGE OF THE BETTER MOISTURE
FLUX...THOUGH CONFIDENCE ON AT LEAST MVFR CONDITIONS REMAINS HIGH
FOR KRSL AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR POTENTIAL FOR IFR. CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA BY MIDDAY OR
SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE LOW LEVEL/SURFACE FLOW VEERS TO THE
WEST-SOUTHWEST.

KED

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 937 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012/

UPDATE...
MAIN CHALLENGE OVERNIGHT IS STRATUS/FOG TRENDS. PATCHY DENSE FOG
DEVELOPED FIRST ACROSS SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE AREA WHERE CLEAR
SKIES EARLIER IN THE EVENING SUPPORTED STRONGER RADIATIONAL
COOLING...AND LIKEWISE MADE ADJUSTMENT TO MIN TEMPS AS WELL. NOW
THE INCREASE IN CIRRUS HAS SOMEWHAT INSULATED AGAINST FURTHER
RADIATIONAL TYPE FOG EXPANSION...AND THE EVENTUAL MODE SHOULD BE
MORE FOR STRATUS DEVELOPMENT AND ADVECTION TYPE FOG OR PERHAPS
STRATUS BUILD-DOWN LATER IN THE NIGHT. THIS SHOULD EVENTUALLY
DEVELOP NORTH AND WEST ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA BEFORE
DAWN...PERHAPS AS FAR WEST AS GREAT BEND AND RUSSELL. WHILE SOME
LOCALIZED DENSE FOG WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT...TEMPORAL
AND SPATIAL CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO GO WITH ANY DENSE
FOG HEADLINE FOR NOW. TEMPERATURES HAVE OR WILL LIKELY REALIZE
MIN POTENTIAL SOON WITH LOCATIONS ALONG/EAST OF THE I-135 CORRIDOR
RISING TOWARD DAWN.

KED

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 542 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012/

AVIATION...00Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU
IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALONG/EAST OF I-135 CORRIDOR EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING. INCREASINGLY MOIST SOUTHERLY SURFACE-BOUNDARY
LAYER FLOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA TONIGHT THRU
SATURDAY MORNING...RESULTING IN STRATUS AND FOG. CONFIDENCE IS
RATHER HIGH ON IFR/LIFR CIGS WITH MVFR/IFR VSBYS. THERE IS
POTENTIAL FOR STRATUS BUILD-DOWN WHICH COULD RESULT IN LIFR
VSBYS ALONG THE I-135 CORRIDOR FROM KSLN-KHUT-KICT...THOUGH
HAVE KEPT VSBYS IN IFR CATEGORY FOR NOW. WESTERN PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL KANSAS WILL REMAIN ON THE WESTERN FRINGE OF THIS
MOISTURE FLUX...THOUGH CONFIDENCE ON AT LEAST SOME MVFR FOG IS
HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE IN THE TAF FOR KRSL. CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO IMPROVE BY MIDDAY OR SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE
LOW LEVEL/SURFACE FLOW VEERS TO THE SOUTHWEST.

KED

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 325 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012/

DISCUSSION...

TONIGHT & SAT:
FORECAST CONCERN (MAJOR): DENSE FOG POSSIBLE ACROSS MOST AREAS FROM LATE
TONIGHT TO EARLY SAT MORNING.

A WEAK BUT PERSISTENT SFC TROF EXTENDING FROM ERN WY TO THE NM/TX BORDER
WILL DRIFT E TOWARD...THEN ACROSS...CNTRL KS. THIS WOULD PROMOTE WARM &
MOIST LWR-DECK ADVECTION ACROSS KICT COUNTRY LATE TONIGHT & WITH GROUNDS
QUITE COLD...WIDESPREAD FOG IS LIKELY & MAY BE DENSE. THE ONE INHIBITOR
IS THAT SLY WINDS ~10MPH MAY PRODUCE SUFFICIENT MIXING. AS THE SFC TROF
WEAKENS AS IT CONTINUES ITS JOURNEY E...SKIES WILL CLEAR IN A W-E MANNER
WITH DOWNSLOPE FLOW SPREADING ACROSS THE REGION. SAT WILL BE VERY WARM
WITH HIGHS ~70F LIKELY.

SAT NGT-SUNDAY NGT:
VERY WARM WEATHER CONTINUES ACROSS KICT COUNTRY AS A SUBTLE MID-LVL WAVE
MOVES E OVER THE CNTRL/SRN ROCKIES TO PROMOTE RENEWED SFC TROFFING ALONG
THE FRONT RANGE. RECORD HIGHS ARE LIKELY ON SUN WITH RECORD WARMEST LOWS
POSSIBLE SUN NGT.

MON-FRI:
-SHRA/-TSRA REMAIN POSSIBLE OVER SE KS MON & MON EVENING AS A COLD FRONT
SURGES SE ACROSS KS. WITH THE PARENT MID-LVL WAVE SPRINTING E ACROSS THE
SRN PLAINS THE FRONT SHOULD EXIT SE KS MON EVENING. THE WEATHER WILL BE
NICE ACROSS THE REGION FROM TUE-WED NGT AS DEEP WLY FLOW DOMINATES. THE
NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN SHOULD ARRIVE THU WHEN THE NEXT...WEAK...MID-LVL
WAVE SURGES E OVER THE CNTRL PLAINS & SWEEPS A COLD FRONT SE ACROSS KS.
THE -RA MAY BE MIXED WITH -SN OVER THE NW CORRIDOR LATE THU NGT. IN THE
WAKE OF THE MID-LVL WAVE CROSSING THE CNTRL PLAINS ON THU...ANOTHER...&
STRONGER WAVE WILL SURGE SE ACROSS KS THEREBY ENABLING AREAS OF -RA TO
FESTER OVER MUCH OF THE THU NGT & FRI.

AVIATION...18Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU

IFR CEILINGS AND FOG POTENTIAL LATE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

EXPECT THE SFC WINDS TO GRADUALLY SHIFT BACK TO THE SOUTH THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SHORT TERM MODELS SUGGEST THAT THIS WILL
ALLOW SOME RELATIVELY HIGHER SURFACE/BOUNDARY LAYER DEWPOINT AIR
(EVIDENT OVER ERN OK TODAY) TO ADVECT NORTHWARD INTO THE AREA
TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING OVER SEASONABLY CHILLY GROUND. ALREADY
SEEING SOME EVIDENCE OF THIS STRATUS DECK OVER ERN OK AT THIS TIME.

BOTH THE HRRR/RUC MODELS AND EVEN THE NAM/WRF SUGGEST THAT MOST
SITES EXCEPT FOR PERHAPS KRSL WILL GO DOWN IN IFR/LIFR CIGS/VSBY
BETWEEN 06Z-12Z/SAT.  THINK THIS FOG/STRATUS POTENTIAL WILL ARRIVE
FIRST TO KCNU AND KICT AND EVENTUALLY SPREAD NORTH AND NORTHWEST
OVERNIGHT TO KHUT AND KSLN. WILL NOT TAKE KICT/KCNU TAF SITES DOWN
TO VLIFR CATEGORIES JUST YET...BUT POTENTIAL DOES EXISTS FOR DENSE
FOG WITH VSBYS OF 1/2 MILE.  WILL LET LATER TAF ISSUANCES FILL IN
THE FINER DETAILS WITH LATER FORECASTS.

KETCHAM

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    50  70  41  71 /   0   0   0   0
HUTCHINSON      46  68  39  71 /   0   0   0   0
NEWTON          49  68  41  71 /   0   0   0   0
ELDORADO        52  70  42  71 /   0   0   0  10
WINFIELD-KWLD   52  73  44  70 /   0   0   0  10
RUSSELL         38  67  36  72 /   0   0   0   0
GREAT BEND      40  67  37  71 /   0   0   0   0
SALINA          44  68  37  73 /   0   0   0   0
MCPHERSON       46  67  39  72 /   0   0   0   0
COFFEYVILLE     49  72  49  73 /  10  10   0  10
CHANUTE         48  70  46  73 /  10  10   0  10
IOLA            48  69  45  73 /  10  10   0  10
PARSONS-KPPF    48  71  48  72 /  10  10   0  10

&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 11:36 PM CST, 24 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1136 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-020545-
RUSSELL-LINCOLN-BARTON-ELLSWORTH-SALINE-RICE-MCPHERSON-MARION-CHASE-
RENO-HARVEY-BUTLER-GREENWOOD-WOODSON-ALLEN-KINGMAN-SEDGWICK-HARPER-
SUMNER-COWLEY-ELK-WILSON-NEOSHO-CHAUTAUQUA-MONTGOMERY-LABETTE-
1136 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS...
SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

FOG WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA WITH VISIBILITIES LOWERING
TO BETWEEN ONE-HALF MILE AND ONE MILE IN MANY AREAS. DENSE FOG
WITH VISIBILITIES LESS THAN ONE-QUARTER MILE WILL BE POSSIBLE IN
LOCALIZED LOW-LYING AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

FOG...LIKELY REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO AS LOW AS ONE HALF MILE...MAY
PERSIST TIL MID-MORNING ON SATURDAY.

VERY HIGH GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER WILL EXIST ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS
SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

VERY HIGH GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER IS LIKELY IN CENTRAL KANSAS MONDAY
AND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS.

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER
EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS BUT WILL BE NEITHER STRONG NOR SEVERE.

SOME LIGHT SNOW MAY GET MIXED WITH LIGHT RAIN OVER PART OF CENTRAL
KANSAS LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT.

&&

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR
WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

25 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Harvey

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Harvey forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.043, -97.427 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Butler

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.781, -96.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cowley

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cowley forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.238, -96.837 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Sedgwick

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Sedgwick forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.685, -97.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The extreme drought (D3), continued across South Central Kansas during the month of December. This was a continuation of a drought that started in late May and continued through the month of November and into December. Wichita Mid Continent Airport recorded very little precipitation during the month, with precipitation falling 0.86 inches below normal for the month. This is the eighth consecutive month of below normal precipitation for South Central Kansas.

Drought, Chautauqua

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Chautauqua forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.150, -96.245 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The extreme drought (D3), continued across the Flint Hills of Southeast Kansas during the month of December. This was a continuation of a drought that started in late May and continued through the month of November and into December. This is the eighth consecutive month of below normal precipitation for Southeast Kansas.

Drought, Elk

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Elk forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.454, -96.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Greenwood

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Greenwood forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.878, -96.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Montgomery

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.193, -95.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wilson

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wilson forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.559, -95.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Woodson

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Woodson forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.887, -95.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Chase

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Chase forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.302, -96.594 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The extreme drought (D3), continued across the Flint Hills of Central Kansas during the month of December. This was a continuation of a drought that started in late May and continued through the month of November and into December. This is the eighth consecutive month of below normal precipitation for Central Kansas.

Drought, Marion

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.359, -97.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, McPherson

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: McPherson forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.392, -97.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Saline

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.784, -97.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The extreme drought (D3), continued across Central Kansas during the month of December. This was a continuation of a drought that started in late May and continued through the month of November and into December. Salina received little precipitation during the month of December, leading to a deficit of 0.83 inches of precipitation for the month. This is the eighth consecutive month of below normal precipitation for Central Kansas.

Drought, Rice

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rice forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.347, -98.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ellsworth

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ellsworth forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.697, -98.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lincoln

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.045, -98.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Barton

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Barton forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.479, -98.756 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Exceptional Drought (D4) conditions continued during the month of December across Central Kansas. Little if any precipitation occurred during the month, leading to rainfall amounts almost an inch below normal.

Drought, Russell

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Russell forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.915, -98.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Exceptional Drought (D4) conditions continued during the month of December across Central Kansas. Little if any rain occurred during the month, leading to rainfall amounts almost an inch below normal.

Drought, Reno

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Reno forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.953, -98.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kingman

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Kingman forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.559, -98.136 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Exceptional Drought (D4) conditions continued during the month of December across South Central Kansas. Little if any precipitation occurred during the month, leading to rainfall amounts almost an inch below normal.

Drought, Harper

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Harper forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.192, -98.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Allen

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Allen forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.886, -95.301 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The extreme drought (D3), continued across Southeast Kansas during the month of December. This was a continuation of a drought that started in late May and continued through the month of November and into December. This is the eighth consecutive month of below normal precipitation for Southeast Kansas.

Drought, Neosho

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Neosho forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.559, -95.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The severe drought (D2), continued across Southeast Kansas during the month of December. This was a continuation of a drought that started in late May and continued through the month of November and into December. The drought intensified during the end of the month to an extreme drought (D3), as little if any rainfall occurred during the month. This is the eighth consecutive month of below normal precipitation for Southeast Kansas.

Drought, Labette

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Labette forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.191, -95.298 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, December 2012

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 424544, 424545, 424546, 424547, 424549, 424550, 424551, 424552, 424553, 424554, 424555, 424556, 424557, 424558, 424559, 424560, 424561, 424562, 424563, 426988, 426989, 426990, 426991, 426992, 426993.