For these 12 counties in South Central Nebraska, July marked a rapid degradation in drought conditions. The entire area started out the month with no worse than category D1 moderate drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, but by month's end most of the area found itself in category D3 extreme drought for the first time since at least 2006 with the exception of Nuckolls and Thayer Counties, which ended the month in category D2 severe drought. As of July 31st, all counties except Nuckolls were either a primary or contiguous county in a federally-declared drought disaster area. This rapid onset of severe to extreme drought marked a downward spiral in drought conditions since early June, when the entire area was still free of all drought categories. Looking back a few months to April and May, although some areas near the Kansas border and also west of Highway 281 started to dry out quite a bit in May, the majority of these 12 counties averaged fairly close to normal rainfall for these two months. As a result, June and July would prove critical as to whether substantial drought would develop. Unfortunately, these two months yielded no more than 20-50 percent of normal precipitation across most of the area, or generally between 1.50-4.00 inches. Serving as one of many examples, the combined June-July rainfall total of 1.43 at Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island was only 19 percent of the normal amount of 7.70, and included the second-driest July on record with only 0.16. Other well-below normal June-July combined rainfall totals within these 12 counties included 0.96 at Ravenna, 1.54 at Osceola, 1.84 at Central City and 2.80 at Franklin. A wetter exception was focused in Nuckolls and Thayer Counties mainly due to a rather rainy June, which helped spare these counties from sinking to extreme drought in July. For most of the area, July was notably drier than June, and in fact observation sites in Polk County such as Osceola and 3 miles northeast of Shelby reported no more than a non-measurable trace of rain for the month. Area rivers were significantly impacted as well, including the Platte which essentially dried up from near Grand Island downstream to Columbus. As though the lack of rain was not enough to hasten the onset of drought, average daily high temperatures for the combined months of June and July registered at least 5-7 degrees above normal, essentially baking moisture-starved maturing crops. At Grand Island, the average June-July daily high temperature was 92.4 degrees, or 6.9 degrees hotter than the 30-year normal. Between July 21st-24th, Grand Island reached at least 100 degrees four days in row for the first time 2006. Closer to the Kansas border, Red Cloud reached at least 100 degrees 14 times in July. For the week ending July 29th, the Nebraska Weather and Crops Report from the USDA indicated that some corn was being chopped for silage or cut for hay to compensate for poor pasture conditions. In addition, state-averaged topsoil and subsoil moisture was indicated as 96 percent short to very short. Poor to very poor crop conditions were reported as 37 percent for corn, 38 percent for soybeans and 69 percent for alfalfa, and pasture and range conditions were rated as 83 percent poor to very poor.

Drought in FRANKLIN, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in WEBSTER, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in NUCKOLLS, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in POLK, NEBRASKA
From 17-JUL-12 00:00:00 to 31-JUL-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor