For Adams, Clay, York and Fillmore Counties, July marked a steady degradation into 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 Adams County found itself in Category D3 extreme drought, while the other three counties were primarily in category D2 severe drought for the first time since 2006. This rapid onset of severe to extreme drought marked a downward spiral in drought conditions since early June, when the entire area was void of all drought categories. Looking back a few months to April and May, there was little hint of impending drought as two-month rainfall totals within most of the area averaged near normal to even above normal. In fact, much of Clay and Fillmore Counties were soaked with 4-6 inches of rain in May alone. Unfortunately, a major weather pattern change to a dominant high pressure ridge in June and July resulted in considerably less rainfall. Although these four counties generally fared better than northern and western portions of South Central Nebraska, total June-July rainfall across most of the area was no more than 25-60 percent of normal. This included York, where the two-month total of 2.01 was only 25 percent of the normal amount of 8.17. Other below normal June-July combined rainfall totals within these four counties included 3.99 at Hastings (53 percent of normal) and 4.67 at Geneva (59 percent of normal). For most of the area, July was notably drier than June, with a few of the lowest July totals including 0.50 at York and 0.62 at Geneva. By far the most fortunate county within all of South Central Nebraska during June and July was Clay County, which largely defied the building regional drought by registering near-normal to slightly above normal rainfall. However, even in those areas that saw more rainfall than others, crops were still stressed by heat. Average daily high temperatures for the combined months of June and July registered at least 5-7 degrees above normal, essentially baking maturing crops across much of the area. At Hastings airport, the average June-July daily high temperature was 90.4 degrees, or 5.1 degrees hotter than the 30-year normal. Between July 22nd-24th, Hastings airport reached at least 100 degrees three days in row for the first time 2005. 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 YORK, NEBRASKA
From 24-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 ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 24-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 CLAY, NEBRASKA
From 24-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 FILLMORE, NEBRASKA
From 24-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