During the final week of August 2020, and for the first time since January 2017, a small portion of South Central Nebraska was assigned D2 Severe Drought by the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor. Specifically, D2 was assigned to much of Kearney and far western Adams counties, a bullseye of dryness within larger areas of both D1 Moderate Drought and D0 Abnormally Dry conditions that had gradually expanded in coverage/evolved during the previous few months. This introduction of D2 drought marked a relatively-rapid decline in moisture conditions within South Central Nebraska, as the entire 24-county area began the spring season completely void of all drought categories (including D0), and D1 did not show up within Kearney/Adams counties until July.
Going into more background detail: the first several months of 2020 started out void of all drought concerns, largely due to a notably-wet 2019. However, during the later spring and early summer, Abnormally Dry (D0) to localized Moderate Drought (D1) began showing up mainly near and south of the Nebraska-Kansas border, while a wet May kept drought at bay across most local Nebraska counties. But then, rainfall patterns became quite interesting and highly-variable during June-July. Over the course of these two months, most northern, western and particularly southern portions of South Central Nebraska received appreciable rainfall (especially during July), while in contrast, a handful of counties in the heart of the area (particularly Kearney/Adams and parts of surrounding) kept missing out on one rain event after another, allowing Moderate Drought (D1) to take hold. Finally, August came around and nearly the ENTIRE 24-county area was dealt well-below-normal rain (most areas only 10-40 percent of the monthly normal). This lack of August rain, in tandem with a notably-hot nine-day stretch centered from Aug. 20-28 (highs in the 90s each day), finally prompted the introduction of this localized Severe Drought (D2). Focusing specifically on the NWS cooperative observer at Minden (the only official NWS precipitation site within the D2 area), there was no sign of trouble as late as May, which was a notably-wet month with 7.91 inches of rain (3.36 above normal). However, the proverbial faucet shut off quite drastically thereafter, as the combined months of June-August only yielded 3.77...merely 34 percent of the normal of 10.99. Fortunately, hot temperatures were not a major contributing drought factor during this 3-month stretch in the heart of the agricultural growing season, as readings only averaged slightly above normal during this time (1.4 degrees above normal at Minden). Given that drought materialized fairly rapidly during the summer and that the first part of the year (and the entirety of the preceding few years) had been rather wet, there were no widespread/serious drought impacts reported in the local area through the end of August, although local Nebraska Extension did note some drought stress in pastures and dryland crops.

Drought in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 25-AUG-20 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-20 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 25-AUG-20 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-20 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor