In mid-to-late June, this six-county portion of North Central Kansas received a widespread severe drought (category D2) designation from the U.S. Drought Monitor for the first time since at least 2003, thanks to a pronounced drying and warming trend over the past few months.  This onset of severe drought represented a notable degradation in conditions since early May, when the entire area was free of all drought categories. Looking back a few months prior to the onset of drought, a fairly wet April helped mitigate the impact of a rather dry March. As a result, the period from May into early June would prove critical as to whether drought would develop. Unfortunately, the combined months of May and June subsequently yielded no more than 15-35% of normal precipitation across most of the area.  This pronounced lack of rainfall, working in tandem with temperatures averaging 4-6 degrees above normal over these two months, led to the rapid onset of a flash drought situation. The month of May was particularly dry, and for several sites marked the 2nd or 3rd-driest May on record and the driest since 1966. During May, much of the area tallied no more than 5-15% of normal rainfall, including paltry monthly totals of 0.01-inch at Natoma, 0.09 at Cawker City and 0.12 near Alton. Fueling the increasingly critical drought situation, the final week of June marked the start of a notable 10-14 day stretch of very hot weather that lasted into early July. In fact, cooperative observer sites in or near the communities of Alton, Beloit and Plainville reached at least 100 degrees on each of the last seven days of June, with Alton exceeding 110 degrees on four of those days. Shortly after June ended, the USDA Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report indicated that topsoil moisture across the north central district was 85 percent short to very short and subsoil moisture was 80 percent short to very short. For the state as a whole, topsoil moisture was the driest since 2003, and 71% of range and pasture land was in poor to very poor condition.

Drought in JEWELL, KANSAS
From 12-JUN-12 00:00:00 to 30-JUN-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor revealed that conditions reached level D2 drought (severe) or worse during this period.

Drought in MITCHELL, KANSAS
From 12-JUN-12 00:00:00 to 30-JUN-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor revealed that conditions reached level D2 drought (severe) or worse during this period.

Drought in PHILLIPS, KANSAS
From 12-JUN-12 00:00:00 to 30-JUN-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor revealed that conditions reached level D2 drought (severe) or worse during this period.

Drought in OSBORNE, KANSAS
From 12-JUN-12 00:00:00 to 30-JUN-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor revealed that conditions reached level D2 drought (severe) or worse during this period.

Drought in ROOKS, KANSAS
From 12-JUN-12 00:00:00 to 30-JUN-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor revealed that conditions reached level D2 drought (severe) or worse during this period.

Drought in SMITH, KANSAS
From 12-JUN-12 00:00:00 to 30-JUN-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor revealed that conditions reached level D2 drought (severe) or worse during this period.