A weekend of storms brought much-needed moisture to parts of Nebraska, but rainfall totals varied dramatically across the state, leaving some drought-stricken areas still searching for relief.
Reports submitted to the Rural Radio Network ranged from more than 6.5 inches near Stratton and over 5.5 inches near Ashton to little or no measurable rainfall in portions of western Nebraska, the Sandhills and south-central Nebraska. Several locations in central and eastern Nebraska reported between 3 and 5 inches of precipitation.
Nebraska Extension climatologist Eric Hunt said the storms delivered meaningful moisture across much of the state, particularly in central Nebraska.
“It was definitely a wild weekend for a good portion of the state,” Hunt said. “The good news is a lot of places did get some very meaningful rainfall.”
Among the highest unofficial reports were 5.58 inches north of Ashton, 4.6 inches near Loup City, 4.5 inches south of Ainsworth, 4.47 inches at Trumbull and 4.1 inches east of Elba. Other areas reported more modest totals, while producers near Dalton, Lexington, Crawford and parts of the western Panhandle received only a few hundredths of an inch or none at all.
The storms also brought damaging hail and high winds to portions of central Nebraska. Producers like Doug Saathoff reported shredded corn and soybean fields, twisted grain bins and other structural damage near Trumbull and surrounding areas.
WATCH: The aftermath following a storm June 20th wind and hail event near Trumbull, Nebraska. Doug Saathoff shared this video with us, writing: “We need to skip the month of June. Nothing good ever happens. Pray for all the farmers in this area…it’s not good”
While the rainfall improved conditions in some areas, drought remains entrenched across portions of northern and western Nebraska. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows 75% of Nebraska remains in at least moderate drought, while more than half the state is experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions.
Hunt said the Highway 12 corridor remains one of the state’s biggest concerns.
“There really is no reserve. There’s basically no moisture up there whatsoever at this point,” Hunt said of parts of northeast Nebraska. “It’s just been incredibly dry.”
He added portions of Holt and Boyd counties could be candidates to return to exceptional drought status if significant precipitation fails to materialize soon.
The recent rains have significantly improved soil moisture prospects in parts of central Nebraska, however.
“I think we actually do have a pretty good profile of moisture now in Hall and Adams, York County, Hamilton County,” Hunt said. “It’s not enough to get us entirely through pollination, but I think we’ve got enough to get us through at least maybe the early portion of pollination if we don’t get any decent rain.”
Looking ahead, Hunt said Nebraska should remain cooler than normal through much of the week, with additional chances for showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday. Some locations along and south of the Platte River could receive another quarter-inch to an inch of rainfall before warmer temperatures return next weekend.