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Kansas City, MO —
Although the metro area in enjoying a brief break from the high heat of the last couple of weeks, the longer term issue is a drought than continues to worsen.
At least officially, the metro area is nearly 10 inches shy of normal rain just since April 1, based on readings at Kansas City International Airport. It’s a couple of inches better going by the unofficial measurements the Weather Service takes in Lee’s Summit.
The National Weather Service now places Jackson County, along with most of the state, under the heading of “severe drought.” That’s in the middle of a five-category rating system ranging from “abnormally dry” to “exceptional drought.” Much of southeast Missouri is in the fourth stage, “extreme drought.”
Here’s the math:
• Just 5.4 inches of rain from April 1 to July 4 at KCI. That’s 9.4 inches off normal, or 36 percent of the amount that should have fallen in that time.
• At Lee’s Summit, it’s 8.68 inches, which is 52 percent of the 16.54 inches that falls on average.
• Just 7.24 inches at New Century AirCenter in Olathe, which is 45 percent of the normal 15.98 icnhes.
• Just 8.13 inches at Johnson County Executive Airport, which is 52 percent of the normal 15.7 inches.
Sunday’s sprinkles here and there across the area did little to help. KCI and New Century each recorded 1/25 of an inch of rain.
This is taking a toll on crops, as the Missouri Department of Agriculture on Friday said the conditions of half of the state’s corn and soybean crops are both rated at poor or very poor. Ninety-seven percent of the state’s topsoil is short or very short of moisture, and subsoils are rated at 93 percent short or very short.
The Weather Service sees the drought worsening, with highs in the low 90s and no rain through this weekend, the likelihood of dry weather in the days after that and then only equal chances of normal, wet or dry weather on through September.
National Weather Service, Pleasant Hill: http://www.weather.gov/kc
Although the metro area in enjoying a brief break from the high heat of the last couple of weeks, the longer term issue is a drought than continues to worsen.
At least officially, the metro area is nearly 10 inches shy of normal rain just since April 1, based on readings at Kansas City International Airport. It’s a couple of inches better going by the unofficial measurements the Weather Service takes in Lee’s Summit.
The National Weather Service now places Jackson County, along with most of the state, under the heading of “severe drought.” That’s in the middle of a five-category rating system ranging from “abnormally dry” to “exceptional drought.” Much of southeast Missouri is in the fourth stage, “extreme drought.”
Here’s the math:
• Just 5.4 inches of rain from April 1 to July 4 at KCI. That’s 9.4 inches off normal, or 36 percent of the amount that should have fallen in that time.
• At Lee’s Summit, it’s 8.68 inches, which is 52 percent of the 16.54 inches that falls on average.
• Just 7.24 inches at New Century AirCenter in Olathe, which is 45 percent of the normal 15.98 icnhes.
• Just 8.13 inches at Johnson County Executive Airport, which is 52 percent of the normal 15.7 inches.
Sunday’s sprinkles here and there across the area did little to help. KCI and New Century each recorded 1/25 of an inch of rain.
This is taking a toll on crops, as the Missouri Department of Agriculture on Friday said the conditions of half of the state’s corn and soybean crops are both rated at poor or very poor. Ninety-seven percent of the state’s topsoil is short or very short of moisture, and subsoils are rated at 93 percent short or very short.
The Weather Service sees the drought worsening, with highs in the low 90s and no rain through this weekend, the likelihood of dry weather in the days after that and then only equal chances of normal, wet or dry weather on through September.
National Weather Service, Pleasant Hill: http://www.weather.gov/kc
