Kansas, 2020

Drought in Kansas, October 13 to 31, 2020

October 13 to 31, 2020 · NWS GLD · 1 event in 1 county or zone

During October drought conditions for Sherman County worsened. The drought status changed from D1 Moderate Drought to D2 Severe Drought covering most of the county.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 GLD wrote it up.

During October drought conditions for Sherman County worsened. The drought status changed from D1 Moderate Drought to D2 Severe Drought covering most of the county. Observed precipitation ranged from a quarter to half an inch. Normal precipitation ranged from one to one and a half inches. This resulted in a departure from normal of half to two inches.

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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 12, 10:10 PM MST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 12, 10:10 PM MST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 12, 5:04 PM MST, 6 hours 56 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Sherman

When
October 13, 12:00 AM MST to October 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Sherman forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
39.351, -101.720 (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

More

Every storm in Kansas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, October 2020

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 924884.