According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, August 2013 marked the 15th consecutive month of D2 Severe (or worse) drought within South Central Nebraska, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s. However, there was some positive news for parts of the 24-county area, as weekly issuances of the U.S. Drought Monitor reflected one-category improvement across a few counties mainly south of Interstate 80 and along/east of Highway 281. Meanwhile, there was little, if any change in drought categories for locations either north of Interstate 80 or west of Highway 281. In most places, a strong majority of rainfall occurred during the cooler first half of the month, while little if any fell during the much-hotter later stages of the month, putting stress on maturing crops. For southwestern counties such as Furnas and Harlan, the dry just kept getting drier, as these areas endured their fourth-consecutive month of widespread below normal rainfall. However, a secondary dry area also became increasingly-evident during the month, as the majority of far eastern counties such as Polk, York and Fillmore experienced their third-consecutive month of below normal precipitation.
Per the U.S. Drought Monitor at month's end, category D4 Exceptional Drought (the worst-possible category) was confined to only about the southwestern half of Furnas County. However, D3 Extreme Drought continued across all/much of Furnas, Gosper, Phelps, Harlan and Franklin counties, along with small portions of bordering counties. Category D2 Severe Drought persisted through several northern and western counties including Buffalo, Valley, Greeley, Sherman and Howard. Category D1 Moderate Drought prevailed in most counties located along/east of Highway 281 and also along/south of Highway 92. On the somewhat better-off side of things, category D0 Abnormally Dry conditions (considered to be one category better than true drought) developed across much of Adams, Clay, Nuckolls and Thayer counties, which for most of this area reflected a one-category improvement since late-July. Reports from around 50 NWS Cooperative Observers, and also radar-derived estimation, confirmed that it was a roughly an even-split across South Central Nebraska between above and below normal August rainfall (with normal defined as roughly 3.15). Those areas that received above normal rainfall (mainly 3.50-6.00) were concentrated along a north-south corridor extending from the Valley/Greeley/Sherman/Howard/Nance county area in the north, southward through counties such as Hall, Adams, western Clay, Webster and Nuckolls.  A bit farther west, most of Buffalo and northern Dawson counties also received above normal rainfall. Per a combination of NWS cooperative observers and NeRAIN observers, a few of the highest August precipitation totals included 6.94 three miles southeast of Ravenna, 6.14 one mile northwest of Giltner and 5.83 at Clay Center. On the opposite, drier side of the spectrum were sites including Wilsonville (0.84), Holdrege (1.67) and three miles north of York (1.66). In between these wettest and driest extremes, the majority of South Central Nebraska measured August rainfall totals somewhere between 1.75-4.00, including stations in or near Elwood, Shelby, Kearney, Grand Island, Hastings, Minden and Fullerton.
Focusing on the longer-range picture of year-to-date precipitation (Jan. 1-Aug. 19), most of the 24-county area stood somewhere between 70-105% of normal. In general, the greatest concentration of at least 90% of normal focused north of Interstate 80, including 119% of normal at St. Paul and also two miles west of Genoa. In contrast, the greatest coverage of locations with 75% of normal-or-less focused southwest of a line from Elwood-Red Cloud, including just 68% of normal at Cambridge. According to the USDA Nebraska Crop Progress and Condition Report for the week ending August 18th, state-averaged topsoil moisture had improved considerably versus four weeks ago, rating 44% short or very short and 55% adequate, compared to 70% short or very short in late July. State-averaged subsoil moisture supplies remained in worse shape but had also improved somewhat, rating 64% short to very short, down from 75% four weeks prior. As for the maturing corn crop, irrigated corn across Nebraska rated 79% good or excellent, while dryland corn only rated 45% good or excellent. State-averaged soybeans rated 72% good or excellent, up from 63% in late July. Nebraska stock water supplies had improved slightly from 25% to 21% short or very short over the past four weeks, and were now 78% adequate. Pasture and range conditions also improved slightly since late July, now rating 34% poor/very poor and 30% good/excellent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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