Drought continues to expand and intensify across the state following another week of below normal rainfall. The latest update to the U.S. Drought Monitor shows roughly 45% of Kentucky now in a Moderate Drought. Severe Drought even saw a slight expansion across Western Kentucky. Looking at accumulations for the week, a small area running from South-Central to Northeastern Kentucky saw a half to 1 inch+. Otherwise, most everyone else missed out on higher totals with the state average coming in at 0.26 inches. The dry conditions, combined with high winds and low relative humidity, led to a couple periods of elevated fire danger to end the workweek.
Temperatures for the period averaged 58 degrees across the state which was near normal and 2 degrees warmer than the previous period. High temperatures averaged from 74 in the West to 70 in the East. Departure from normal high temperatures ranged from 1 degree warmer than normal in the West to 1 degree cooler than normal in the East. Low temperatures averaged from 46 degrees in the West to 44 degrees in the East. Departure from normal low temperature ranged from 2 degrees cooler than normal in the West to near normal in the East. The extreme high temperature for the period was 84 degrees at BOWLING GREEN APT and the extreme low was 28 degrees at BURKESVILLE 3W.
Precipitation (liq. equ.) for the period totaled 0.27 inches statewide which was 0.45 inches below normal and 37% of normal. Precipitation totals by climate division, West 0.13 inches, Central 0.32 inches, Bluegrass 0.27 inches and East 0.36 inches, which was 0.61, 0.42, 0.43 and 0.36 inches below normal. By station, precipitation totals ranged from a low of 0.00 inches at BIG SANDY to a high of 1.16 inches at SCOTTSVILLE 2W.
Categories: Kentucky, Weather