Drought in Kansas, April 1 to 30, 2013

Name: Drought in Kansas, April 1 to 30, 2013
Start: 2013-04-01T00:00
End: 2013-04-30T23:59
Location: Kansas

April 1 to 30, 2013 · NWS GID · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

S. Drought Monitor, April marked the 11th consecutive month of severe (or worse) drought within this six-county portion of North Central Kansas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 6

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 GID wrote it up.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, April marked the 11th consecutive month of severe (or worse) drought within this six-county portion of North Central Kansas. This continued one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s, although limited parts of the area saw encouraging trends during April. Based on Drought Monitor weekly issuances, there was essentially no change in drought classification over the course of the month for five of the six counties, with a one-category improvement from D2 Severe Drought to D1 Moderate Drought noted in southeastern Mitchell County. This marked the first time since July 2012 that any portion of the six-county area featured something better than Severe Drought. At month's end, the vast majority of Phillips, Rooks, Smith and Osborne counties remained in D3 Extreme Drought, with the far western fringes of Rooks and Phillips brushed with D4 Exceptional Drought (the worst-possible category). Farther east, all of Jewell and northwestern Mitchell counties continued in D2 Severe Drought. Based on reports from around 20 NWS cooperative observers, and also incorporating radar-derived estimation, at least 60 percent of the area observed below normal April precipitation (based on normals generally between 2.10-2.50 inches). However, even within the below normal zones most places still measured at least 1.30 for the month. In other words, no areas were left bone-dry, as had been the case several times within the past year. In general, Mitchell, Jewell and Smith counties were the wettest counties in April, compared to drier conditions in most of Osborne, Rooks and Phillips. A few of the lowest April precipitation totals at cooperative observer sites were 1.26 at Phillipsburg, 1.38 four miles west-northwest of Plainville and 1.40 near Covert in rural Osborne County. On the wetter side of things were locations such as Beloit (4.01), Jewell (3.59) and Lebanon (2.77). As for April snowfall, a predominant below normal temperature regime set the stage for mainly above normal amounts, highlighted by 6.5 at Natoma and 6.3 at Plainville 4WNW.

Given the prevailing near to slightly below normal precipitation regime within much of North Central Kansas during April, there remained a long way to go to fully relieve the area of severe or worse drought given that longer-term impacts to subsoil moisture and groundwater deficits were still very evident. The longer-term trend was generally on the right track, however, as most of the six-county area observed between 75 and 115 percent of normal precipitation during the first four months of 2013. The USDA Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report for the week ending May 5th indicated that topsoil moisture across the North Central District continued to improve, rating only 15 percent short to very short and 82% adequate, compared to late-March when it was 30% short to very short. However, subsoil moisture still showed considerable room for improvement, rating 63% short to very short, although this was still a 20% improvement since late March. The state-averaged wheat crop rated 40% poor to very poor and only 27% good to excellent. Pasture and range conditions across Kansas rated 62% poor to very poor, a 17% improvement since five weeks prior, while hay and forage supplies exhibited little change at 71% short to very short. Stock water supplies had improved somewhat in recent weeks but still rated 48% short to very short.

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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 11:26 PM CST, 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 11:26 PM CST, 34 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1226 AM CDT MON APR 1 2013

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY)
ISSUED AT 421 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013

SPLIT FLOW CONTS OVER THE CONUS WITH THE CNTRL PLAINS IN THE NW FLOW
BRANCH. THERE IS A COLD AIR MASS OVER THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES HEADING
S. THE PAS 12Z SOUNDING /NW OF LAKE WINNIPEG/ HAD AN H8 TEMP OF -16C.
TEMPS ARE IN THE 30S OVER MUCH OF SD AND IN THE 20S OVER ND AT 20Z.
THIS AIR MASS WILL INVADE TNGT WITH A BURST OF WINDY CONDITIONS.
STRONG HIGH PRES SLIDES INTO THE NRN PLAINS TNGT-MON.

REST OF THIS AFTN: SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY...INCREASING CLOUDS...
ESPECIALLY N AND E OF THE TRI-CITIES. CLOUDS HAVE RAPIDLY DEVELOPED
OVER N-CNTRL NEB IN THE PAST COUPLE HRS AND SHWRS ARE INCREASING ON
LNX 88D.

SFC RH IS 25-30 PERCENT. SO AT WORST COULD SEE A FEW SPRINKLES N OF
HWY 6 BEFORE 7 PM.

TNGT: A PERIOD OF CLOUDY/WINDY CONDS. PATCHY LGT R SHOULD EVENTUALLY
MAKE IT TO THE GROUND...MAINLY FROM TRI-CITIES N AND E WITH THE BEST
CHANCE FROM GRI NE. COLD ARE COULD BECOME DEEP ENUF FOR A LITTLE
SLEET TO MIX IN BUT R WILL BE ENDING AS THIS OCCURS.

TEMPS ARE BIAS CORRECTED BLEND OF 2M TEMPS AND THE PREVIOUS GID
FCST. THIS IS NEAR OR SLGTLY ABOVE 12Z MOS DEPENDENT ON LOCATION.

WIND: THE PRES GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE NEXT 3-6
HRS. PACKING OF ISOBARS IS IMPRESSIVE. ALL MESOSCALE MODELS /AND
EVEN SYNOPTIC MODELS/ HAVE A BURST OF NEAR WIND ADVISORY SUSTAINED
WINDS AND A COUPLE SPOTS COULD APPROACH ADVISORY GUSTS /45 MPH/.
WE/VE NOTED G32-37 KTS IN THE PAST COUPLE HRS OVER ERN WY/WRN SD.

6 HR PRES RISES ARE FCST UP TO 15 MB AND WHAT/S ESPECIALLY
CONCERNING IS A LARGE PORTION OF THE ISALLOBARIC WIND LINES UP
WITH SYNOPTIC WIND DIRECTION.

WIND GUSTS WERE CAPPED AT 35 KTS. THE GUST TOOL GAVE US G40 KTS. NOT
SAYING IT CANT HAPPEN BUT APPROACH IS CAUTIOUS FOR NOW.

THE STRONGEST WINDS SHOULDNT LAST MUCH MORE THAN 2-3 HRS AT ANY
ONE LOCATION.

NO ADVISORY ISSUED PER INTERNAL DISCUSSION DUE TO BREVITY OF THE
THREAT.

THX FOR COORDINATION GLD/DDC/ICT.

POPS/QPF ARE HEAVILY WEIGHT TOWARD THE SREF WITH INPUT FROM THE PAST
TWO CYCLES OF THE 4 KM NAM AND THE WRF FROM THE SD SCHOOL OF MINES
AND TECH /SDSMT/. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED WE ARE USING MUCH HIGHER POPS
EVEN FOR LGT PCPN EVENTS. THIS IS PART OF OUR ENHANCED SHORT-TERM
FCST /ESTF/ EFFORT WHICH BECOMES OPERATIONAL TOMORROW.

MON: SOME HIGH CLOUDS WILL DRIFT THRU...ESPECIALLY S OF I-80...AS
THE CUT-OFF LOW /CURRENTLY APPROACHING CA/ HEADS INTO NV/UT.

THIS AIR MASS WILL BE 1 STANDARD DEVIATION BELOW NORMAL /IE
ABOUT 11F BELOW NORMAL/. USE BIAS CORRECTED 2M TEMPS INCLUSIVE OF
THE PREVIOUS GID FCST. THIS IS CLOSE TO MAV MOS. MET MOS IS A FEW
DEGS COOLER.

OVERALL FCST CONFIDENCE IS HIGH ON ALL ELEMENTS EXCEPT QPF. COULD
BE A LITTLE TOO HIGH. USED A BLEND OF THE PAST COUPLE RUNS OF NAM
AND GFS WHICH YIELDED JUST UNDER A TENTH E OF THE TRI-CITIES.

.LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)
ISSUED AT 414 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013

CHALLENGES INCLUDE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION FOR MAINLY FRIDAY NIGHT
AND TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEK.

THE BASIC SYNOPTIC PATTER WILL INCLUDE AN UPPER LEVEL SPIT FLOW
SCENARIO FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES WITH A MID TO
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH/LOW MOVING FROM THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST INTO THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS MID-WEEK. LIFT WILL MAINLY BE SYNOPTIC AND WILL BE
RELATIVELY WEAK...FOCUSED SOUTH OF THE CWA. THE LONGWAVE TROUGH IN
THE EAST SHOULD BE FAR ENOUGH AWAY TO KEEP ITS INFLUENCE FOCUSED ON
THE EASTERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES.

BY THURSDAY...THE UPPER/MID LEVEL TROUGH/LOW WILL CROSS OVER INTO
THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES AND WILL PHASE WITH THE NORTHERN
STREAM. MEANWHILE...FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY...A SHORTWAVE RIDGE
WILL BUILD IN WITH THE AXIS CROSSING THE CWA. A NEGATIVELY TILTED
SHORTWAVE TROUGH ON THE HEELS OF THE RIDGE COULD MAKE ITS WAY INTO
THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS BY FRIDAY NIGHT...GIVING US A LOW CHANCE
OF SOME RAIN. MUCAPES INDICATE THAT WE WILL NOT LIKELY GET THUNDER
OUT OF THIS.

A PRETTY GOOD WARM-UP IS IN STORE FOR THE WEEKEND AS A LONGWAVE
TROUGH DIGS INTO THE WEST COAST REGION...PROVIDING HEIGHT RISES AND
WARMER WEATHER FOR THE HIGH/CENTRAL PLAINS. THE ENSEMBLE MEANS

KEPT SUNDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY DRY...FOLLOWING THE SLOWER SOLUTION
FROM THE ECMWF...ALTHOUGH THE GFS TRIES TO BRING SOME PRECIPITATION
FARTHER TO THE EAST BY SUNDAY. CONSIDERING THE AMPLIFYING AND
DIGGING NATURE OF THE LONGWAVE TO THE WEST...THIS CONVINCED ME TO
KEEP THE FORECAST DRY.

LOWERED TEMPERATURES ABOUT 5 DEGREES OR SO FROM THE ALLBLEND INIT
GRIDS ON SATURDAY...CONSIDERING THE ECMWF MOS ENSEMBLE NUMBERS AND
THE TRENDS FROM GFS MOS ENSEMBLES. STILL LOOKING SEASONABLY
MILD...HOWEVER. ALSO INCREASED SOUTH WIND FOR FRIDAY ALONG WITH
TEMPERATURES AS A SURFACE TROUGH APPROACHES.

THE GFS INDICATES A POSSIBILITY FOR SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY ALONG
A THETA-E RIDGE AT 850 MB JUST BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE LONG TERM
FORECAST FOR SUNDAY NIGHT...SO THIS MAY BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO KEEP
AN EYE ON.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1226 AM CDT MON APR 1 2013

MVFR CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE AT KGRI THROUGH 09Z...WITH
VFR CONDITIONS THEN FORECAST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF
PERIOD.

STRATUS IS INFILTRATING THE AREA ON THE HEELS OF A LOW LEVEL
BAROCLINIC ZONE WHICH CLEARED THE TERMINAL A COUPLE HOURS AGO.
SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THIS CLOUD COVER SHOULD DEPART KGRI TO
THE SOUTHWEST BY 09Z...THUS THE RETURN VFR CONDITIONS STARTING 09Z
IN THE TAF. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR IN CASE IT APPEARS STRATUS
WILL LINGER FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR TWO BEYOND 09Z...BUT AT THIS TIME
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE RESTORED BY 09Z.
THE SURFACE WIND WILL REMAIN FROM THE NORTH/NORTHEAST DURING THE
TAF PERIOD...GENERALLY RANGING BETWEEN 10KTS AND 16KTS. VISIBILITY
RESTRICTION IS NOT EXPECTED AT KGRI THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

&&

.CLIMATE...
ISSUED AT 414 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013

MARCH: BASED ON THE PROJECTED GRI AVG TEMP FOR TODAY...THE MONTHLY
AVG TEMP SHOULD COME OUT CLOSE TO 36.5F. THIS WILL GO DOWN AS THE
COLDEST MARCH SINCE 2002 WHEN THE AVG TEMP WAS 32.0. SINCE 1980
THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN 8 MARCH/S THAT WERE COLDER.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...NONE.
KS...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...HALBLAUB
LONG TERM...HEINLEIN
AVIATION...BRYANT
CLIMATE...HALBLAUB

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 11:47 AM CST, 12 hours 13 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1247 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-
011800-
PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE-
SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK-
GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN-
WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER-
1247 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

A BRIEF BURST OF STRONG WINDS ARE LIKELY THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT
AS A POTENT COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. WINDS
WILL ABRUPTLY SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST...AND INCREASE TO 25 TO 30
MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH POSSIBLE. THIS BURST OF STRONG
WINDS WILL LAST ABOUT 2 OR 3 HOURS AT ANY ONE LOCATION. SOUTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA WILL BE AFFECTED BETWEEN 7 PM AND 1 AM...AND
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS BETWEEN 11 PM AND 4 AM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS  (ALL LOWERCASE)

HALBLAUB

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Jewell

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jewell forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.785, -98.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mitchell

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Mitchell forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.393, -98.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Osborne

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Osborne forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.350, -98.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Phillips

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Phillips forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.785, -99.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rooks

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rooks forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.350, -99.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Smith

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Smith forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.785, -98.785 (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 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, April 2013

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: 441403, 441404, 441405, 441406, 441407, 441408.