According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, September 2013 marked the 16th-consecutive month of D2 Severe (or worse) Drought within this six-county portion of North Central Kansas, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s. However, there was positive news as the overall coverage and severity of drought continued to dwindle and shift westward. Over the course of the month, the U.S. Drought Monitor reflected one-category improvement across much of the area, thanks in large part to a widespread 1.00-2.50 rainfall late in the month on the 27th that especially targeted Phillips and Rooks counties. The resultant above normal monthly rainfall in primarily western portions of the local area was quite welcome, and targeted those places that needed it most based on long-term precipitation deficits. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor at month's end, the entire six-county area was void of not only category D4 Exceptional Drought (the worst-possible category) but also D3 Extreme Drought, for the first time since July 2012. Nonetheless, the lingering effects of longer-term dryness kept D2 Severe Drought intact across northwestern Phillips and far western Rooks counties. Meanwhile, category D1 Moderate Drought prevailed across southeastern Phillips, northwestern Smith and the majority of Rooks counties. On the somewhat better-off side of things, category D0 Abnormally Dry conditions (considered to be one category better than true drought) prevailed across most of Smith, western Osborne and northern Jewell counties. Across eastern portions of the area, the coverage of locations depicted to be void of all drought or abnormally dry conditions increased during September, not only including all of Mitchell County as before, but now also including the majority of Osborne and Jewell counties.
Reports from around 20 NWS Cooperative Observers, and also radar-derived estimation, revealed that at least 60 percent of the local area registered below normal September precipitation, while the greatest concentration of above normal amounts focused within Phillips and Rooks counties (based on September normals that range from around 1.70��� in the west to around 2.60��� in the east). Per a combination of NWS cooperative observers and CoCoRaHS observers, a few of the highest September precipitation totals featured 4.85��� at Logan, 4.65��� just northwest of Prairie View , 4.49��� at Plainville and 4.22 at Jewell. On the opposite, drier side of the spectrum were sites such as Lovewell Dam (1.22���), two miles southwest of Alton (1.44���) and Beloit (1.48). In between these wettest and driest extremes, the majority of the six-county area reported September rainfall totals somewhere between 1.50-3.25, including stations in or near Mankato, Smith Center and Natoma.
Focusing on the longer-range picture of year-to-date precipitation (Jan. 1-Sep. 18), most of the six-county area stood somewhere between 70-105% of normal, with Phillips County clearly the overall-driest, including only 64% of normal at Phillipsburg. In contrast, Mitchell County remained the overall-wettest, featuring 106% of normal at Beloit. The USDA Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report for the week ending September 15th indicated that topsoil moisture within the north central district had recently degraded, now rating 48% short or very short, compared to 25% short or very short in mid-August. Over that same four weeks, subsoil moisture had also degraded from 44% to 64% short or very short. The state-averaged corn crop rated 39% good to excellent and 33% poor to very poor, only a slight degradation since mid-August. Soybeans across Kansas also degraded a bit, now rating 48% good or excellent versus 61% in mid-August. State-averaged range and pasture conditions checked in 37% poor or very poor, only a 2% downgrade since August 18th. Stock water supplies also degraded slightly, rating 29% short or very short and 69% adequate, compared to 25% short or very short four weeks prior.

Drought in PHILLIPS, KANSAS
From 01-SEP-13 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in ROOKS, KANSAS
From 01-SEP-13 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in SMITH, KANSAS
From 01-SEP-13 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-13 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor