According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, January marked the seventh consecutive month of severe (or worse) drought across South Central Nebraska, as one of the worst droughts since the 1950s, which took hold during the summer of 2012, continued into the new year. According to Drought Monitor weekly issuances, there was essentially no change whatsoever in drought classification during the month. Category D4 exceptional drought (the worst possible category) remained firmly in place across all or part of 15 counties, primarily those north of Interstate 80 and also west of Highway 183. Meanwhile, category D3 extreme drought persisted across most of the other nine counties, while only a small sliver of category D2 severe drought held on in southern Thayer County. Based on reports from around 50 NWS cooperative observers, and also incorporating radar-derived estimation, over two-thirds of the 24-county area observed above below normal precipitation in January (per normals generally between 0.40-0.70). Continuing trends from recent months, the driest counties were in the northwest, especially northwest of a line from Elwood-Grand Island-Osceola. In contrast, above normal monthly precipitation dominated all or part of several southeastern counties such as Clay, Fillmore, Webster, Nuckolls and Thayer. Some of this above normal precipitation in the southeast was tied to a widespread 2-5 snowfall from the 29th-30th. Per NWS cooperative observers, a few of the highest January precipitation totals included 1.13 at Hebron, 1.05 near Superior and 1.04 at Bruning. On the much lower side of things were sites such as Cozad (0.01), Arcadia (0.11) and Osceola and Belgrade (0.12). Grand Island tied for its 20th-driest January on record out of 118 years with only 0.16.
Despite below normal January precipitation in most areas, many locations near and especially south of Interstate 80 tallied above normal precipitation for the combined months of December and January. Even so, this recent trend did little to ease serious drought conditions, largely due to the fact that winter precipitation events generally account for less than 10 percent of total annual precipitation. The January USDA Nebraska Weather and Crops report indicated little change since December, with around 50 percent of the state-averaged wheat crop still in poor to very poor condition, and only around 12% in good condition. Hay and forage supplies across the state averaged 40-50% short to very short, well below levels from one year ago in January 2012.

Drought in CLAY, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in FILLMORE, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in FRANKLIN, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in GREELEY, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in NANCE, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in NUCKOLLS, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in POLK, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in SHERMAN, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in WEBSTER, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in YORK, NEBRASKA
From 01-JAN-13 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor