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2021 Precipitation Analysis for Our Entire Coverage Area...Including Map, Tables, Extremes, Tri Cities Details, etc. 
(click tabs below for a wealth of 2021 data including precipitation extremes)


2021 Precipitation Map and list of several official totals
Note: for most locations, this map depicts slightly OVER-ESTIMATED amounts
(click to enlarge)

2021 was a somewhat odd precipitation year within our 30-county coverage area, especially considering that one particular month (March...of all months!) had FAR MORE of an influence on annual totals than is typical (more on that in a bit). 

Based on data from dozens of NWS and CoCoRaHS/NeRAIN observers and also radar-estimated analysis, the year as a whole was wetter than 2020 (with limited exception), featuring a varied mix of generally modestly above/below normal precipitation (most places within 4" either side of normal). Indeed, it was roughly a 50/50 split across our area between above/below normal totals. Some of the overall-driest locales (compared to normal) concentrated: 1) within some northern and western local Nebraska counties (such as Valley/Nance/Dawson)...2) far southeast local Nebraska counties (including Thayer)...3) parts of north central KS especially near/south of Highway 24 (particularly Mitchell County, where Beloit had its driest year since 2002). Meanwhile, for the roughly half of the area that measured above normal precipitation, the overall-highest totals concentrated primarily within two "pockets"...one centered over several southwestern local Nebraska counties (such as Franklin/Phelps/Harlan) and the other, smaller pocket of solidly-above normal squarely centered across Polk County in our far northeast. 

But getting back to how much of an UNUSUAL influence March had on precipitation totals for the year as whole...quite honestly it "saved" 2021 from being a much drier year. More specifically, March featured at least near-record amounts across our area (actually record-wettest in the Tri Cities!), with most places tallying between 4-9" (generally 3-6 times normal)! Subtracting March out of the picture, the other 11 months of the year (as a whole) clearly leaned drier-than-normal across most of our area. In fact, for the majority of our area, anywhere from six to eight of the final nine months of the year (April-Dec) featured below normal precipitation. Of particular note, 2021 ENDED VERY DRY especially within most of north central KS, where Nov-Dec combined featured no more than 0.15" in most spots (unfortunately setting the stage for significant wildfires in/near our KS coverage area on Dec. 15th). As 2021 drew to a close, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicated Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions across the vast majority of our coverage area, with pockets of embedded Moderate Drought (D1) in portions of north central KS and also near the Nebraska Tri Cities. 

In summary: 2021 (as a whole) was technically a fairly "near-normal" precipitation year across our 30-county area (most places within 4" either side of normal), but an unusually wet (in some places record-wet!) March clearly "skewed" the story somewhat, as the majority of the year (aside from March) was more solidly drier-than-normal in most locales. 

HANDY TIPS:
- You can look up daily/monthly/annual temp/precip data for ALL official NWS cooperative observer and airport stations in our area with NOWData
- You can do your own daily/monthly/annual precipitation analysis (including generating maps) using the NWS AHPS page

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