Drought Information Statement
Issued by NWS Topeka, KS

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AXUS73 KTOP 050346
DGTTOP
KSC003-013-027-029-031-041-045-059-061-085-087-111-117-127-131-
139-143-149-157-161-177-197-201-070400-

DROUGHT STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1046 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 2013

...DROUGHT CONTINUES TO LOSE ITS GRIP...

SYNOPSIS...

THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT
HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM. IT IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN
SEVERAL GOVERNMENT AND ACADEMIC PARTNERS. THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR
IS ISSUED EACH THURSDAY MORNING AND TAKES INTO ACCOUNT
HYDRO-METEOROLOGICAL DATA THROUGH 7 AM TUESDAY.  THERE ARE FOUR
LEVELS OF DROUGHT: D1 /MODERATE/...D2 /SEVERE/...D3 /EXTREME/...AND
D4 /EXCEPTIONAL/.

THE LATEST U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR...ISSUED APRIL 30 2013...INDICATED
D3 IN SOUTHWESTERN MORRIS COUNTY...D2 SOUTH OF A LINE FROM ROUGHLY
MINNEAPOLIS TO OTTAWA AND IN NORTHWESTERN REPUBLIC COUNTY...AND D1
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA.

DOMINATING COOL AND WET CONDITIONS OF RECENT WEEKS HAVE ALLOWED THE
DROUGHT TO CONTINUE TO DIMINISH IN INTENSITY.

IN AN EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT /D4/...EXCEPTIONAL AND WIDESPREAD CROP AND
PASTURE LOSSES RESULT. AN EXCEPTIONAL FIRE DANGER EXISTS...AND
SHORTAGES OF WATER IN RESERVOIRS...STREAMS...AND WELLS OCCUR CAUSING
WATER EMERGENCIES.

IN AN EXTREME DROUGHT /D3/...MAJOR CROP AND PASTURE LOSSES ARE
LIKELY. AN EXTREME FIRE DANGER EXISTS...AND WIDESPREAD WATER
SHORTAGES AND RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE.

IN A SEVERE DROUGHT /D2/...CROP AND PASTURE LOSSES ARE HIGH...A VERY
HIGH FIRE DANGER EXISTS...AND WATER RESTRICTIONS MAY BE REQUIRED
WITH WATER SHORTAGES COMMON.

IN A MODERATE DROUGHT /D1/...SOME DAMAGE TO CROPS AND PASTURE IS
POSSIBLE. A HIGH FIRE DANGER EXISTS. SOME WATER SHORTAGES DEVELOP OR
ARE IMMINENT...AND VOLUNTARY WATER USE RESTRICTIONS MAY BE REQUESTED.


SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...

STATE AND LOCAL MITIGATION ACTIONS.
A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR EMERGENCY USE OF STATE FISHING
LAKE WATER HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. PRESCRIBED
BURNING HAS BEEN BANNED FOR ANY LOCATION IN A D1 OR HIGHER DROUGHT
AREA PER AN ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY AND THE
NATIONAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE IN KANSAS.

SOIL MOISTURE.
ACCORDING TO THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER...SOIL MOISTURE DEFICITS
ARE IN THE TWO TO FOUR INCH RANGE. THE KANSAS AGRICULTURAL
STATISTICS SERVICE REPORTS TOPSOIL MOISTURE SUPPLIES WERE 30 TO 40
PERCENT SHORT OR VERY SHORT.

AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS.
FOR THE STATE...THE KANSAS AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE REPORTS
THE CONDITION OF THE WHEAT CROP TO BE 30 TO 40 PERCENT POOR TO VERY
POOR. THE CONDITION OF 50 TO 60 PERCENT OF RANGE AND PASTURE ARE
POOR TO VERY POOR. HAY AND FORAGE SUPPLIES WERE REPORTED TO BE 60 TO
70 PERCENT SHORT TO VERY SHORT. STOCK WATER SUPPLIES WERE 40 TO 50
PERCENT SHORT TO VERY SHORT. THE U.S.D.A RELEASED CRP LAND TO HAYING
AND GRAZING ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE.

WATER RESTRICTIONS.
WATER CONSERVATION PLANS HAVE BEEN ENACTED IN 218 COMMUNITIES AND
RURAL WATER DISTRICTS ACROSS KANSAS. WATER RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN
ENACTED OR CONSERVATION OF WATER REQUESTED BY MANY LOCAL ENTITIES
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF ABILENE...ALMA...BALDWIN CITY...BENNINGTON...
BERN...BURLINGAME...BURLINGTON...CIRCLEVILLE...COLONY...CONCORDIA...
COUNCIL GROVE...DENNISON...EMPORIA...GARNETT...GRIDLEY...HARTFORD...
HARVEYVILLE...HERINGTON...HOLTON...HOYT...JUNCTION CITY...
LAWRENCE...LEBO...LEROY...LYNDON...MANHATTAN...MAYETTA...MCLOUTH...
MELVERN...MERIDEN...MORGANVILLE...NETAWAKA...NEW STRAWN...
NORTONVILLE...OLPE...OSAGE CITY...OTTAWA...POMONA...PRINCETON...
QUENEMO...RANTOUL...ROSSVILLE...SENECA...SOLDIER...TOPEKA...
VALLEY FALLS...WAVERLY...WELLSVILLE...WHITING...WILLIAMSBURG...
AND THE KICKAPOO TRIBE IN BROWN COUNTY.


CLIMATE SUMMARY...

ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN COMMON FOR THE BULK OF NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS THIS SPRING...WITH AMOUNTS CLOSE TO
NORMAL IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. THE PRECIPITATION GENERALLY HAS BEEN
SPREAD ACROSS THE SEASON WITH AMOUNTS NOT PARTICULARLY HEAVY ON ANY
ONE OCCASION WHILE TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN BELOW NORMAL...ALLOWING
THE RAINS TO SOAK IN. PRECIPITATION DEFICITS SINCE EARLY SPRING OF
2012 CONTINUE TO SHRINK...WITH TOTALS IN THE 55 TO 85 PERCENT OF
NORMAL RANGE.


PRECIPITATION TOTALS IN INCHES FOR MARCH 1 2012 THROUGH APRIL 30 2013

                                   DEPARTURE      PERCENT
EAST CENTRAL KANSAS...  AMOUNT    FROM NORMAL    OF NORMAL
TOPEKA                   27.89      -14.59          66
LAWRENCE                 26.03      -20.63          56
OTTAWA                   29.92      -16.89          64
EMPORIA 3NW              29.21      -14.02          68
COUNCIL GROVE LAKE       26.12      -14.35          58
MILFORD LAKE             28.80       -9.45          75
ESKRIDGE                 30.39      -13.48          69
GARNETT 1E               37.59       -9.93          79
JOHN REDMOND LAKE        28.06      -15.51          64

NORTHEAST KANSAS...
MANHATTAN KSU            27.18      -14.10          66
MARYSVILLE               29.09       -9.95          75
HORTON                   29.95      -13.53          69
PERRY LAKE               24.58      -20.96          54

NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
CLAY CENTER              28.03       -7.79          78
CONCORDIA                27.26       -5.09          84
MINNEAPOLIS              25.17      -10.77          70
BELLEVILLE               27.56       -5.91          82
WASHINGTON               28.32       -9.85          74

CENTRAL KANSAS...
ABILENE                  27.36      -11.28          71
HERINGTON                28.97      -12.25          70


AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT FOR MARCH 1 2012 THROUGH
APRIL 30 2013

                                          DEPARTURE
EAST CENTRAL KANSAS...  TEMPERATURE      FROM NORMAL
TOPEKA                     57.3             +2.9
LAWRENCE                   56.4             +2.9
OTTAWA                     55.2             +1.1
EMPORIA 3NW                58.0             +4.4
COUNCIL GROVE LAKE         55.7             +2.3
MILFORD LAKE               55.8             +2.2
ESKRIDGE                   54.0             +2.1
GARNETT 1E                 56.1             +1.7
JOHN REDMOND LATE          55.7             +1.7
POMONA LAKE                57.2             +3.5

NORTHEAST KANSAS...
MANHATTAN KSU              55.8             +1.7
HORTON                     54.4             +1.5

NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
CLAY CENTER                53.9             +0.8
CONCORDIA                  54.8             +1.7
MINNEAPOLIS                55.5             +1.7
BELLEVILLE                 53.3             +1.2
WASHINGTON                 53.7             +1.4

CENTRAL KANSAS...
ABILENE                    58.5             +2.5
HERINGTON                  5448             +1.1


PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...

FOR MAY...THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER INDICATES TEMPERATURES WILL
LIKELY BE BELOW NORMAL...WHILE THERE ARE EQUAL CHANCES FOR
PRECIPITATION TO BE ABOVE...BELOW...AND NEAR NORMAL. THE LATEST U.S.
SEASONAL DROUGHT OUTLOOK INDICATES DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
TO EASE FOR THE BULK OF THE AREA.


HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...

THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY INDICATES STREAMFLOWS OF AREA RIVERS AND
CREEKS TO BE VARY WIDELY...FROM ABOVE NORMAL TO MUCH BELOW NORMAL
LEVELS. THE LATEST LAKE WATER LEVEL READINGS FROM THE CORPS OF
ENGINEERS INDICATE LEVELS OF NEAR TO FIVE FEET BELOW CONSERVATION OR
IRRIGATION POOL LEVELS. THE LATEST HYDROLOGIC PROBABILISTIC OUTLOOKS
INDICATE FLOODING IS POSSIBLE FOR MANY AREA CREEKS AND RIVERS
THROUGH MID SUMMER.

NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...

THIS PRODUCT IS EXPECTED TO BE UPDATED IN LATE MAY.

&&

RELATED WEB SITES...

ALL LINKS SHOULD BE IN LOWER CASE LETTERS.

U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR - HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML
NOAA DROUGHT PAGE - HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.NOAA.GOV/
HIGH PLAINS REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTER - HTTP://WWW.HPRCC.UNL.EDU/
KANSAS STATE CLIMATOLOGIST - HTTP://WWW.KSRE.KSU.EDU/WDL/
KANSAS WATER OFFICE - HTTP://WWW.KWO.ORG/INDEX.HTM
U.S.D.A. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE -
     HTTP://WWW.NASS.USDA.GOV/STATISTICS_BY_STATE/KANSAS/INDEX.ASP
RIVER INFORMATION...
     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - HTTP://WATER.WEATHER.GOV/AHPS/
     U.S. GEOLOGIC SURVEY - HTTP://WATER.USGS.GOV/
     CORPS OF ENGINEERS - HTTP://RIVERGAGES.COM/
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER - HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA - HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/TOPEKA

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...

THE DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING NOAA/S
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER...THE
USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL CENTER CLIMATOLOGISTS...AND THE NATIONAL
DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER. INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN
GATHERED FROM NWS AND FAA OBSERVATIONS SITES...STATE COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION SERVICES...THE USDA...COE...AND USGS.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT
INFORMATION...PLEASE CONTACT...

     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
     1116 NE STRAIT AVE
     TOPEKA KS 66616

TELEPHONE - 785-234-2592
E-MAIL - W-TOP.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV

$$
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