July 2017: Precipitation/Temperature Summary For Our 30-County Coverage Area (South Central NE/North Central KS)

Recap of July 2017 Weather for the NWS Hastings Coverage Area: 

- Rainfall/Flooding: Although not as dry overall as June, unfortunately, roughly two-thirds of the local area measured at least slightly below normal July rainfall, and some places well-below average. Of the 30 counties in the NWS Hastings coverage area, some of the overall-driest included: Nance, Sherman, Howard, Merrick, Polk, Jewell, Osborne and Mitchell. As for specific official NWS observer totals, among the driest were Natoma (0.98"), Bruning (1.10"), Beloit (1.11"), Gothenburg (1.43") and St. Paul (1.46").

On the opposite side of the spectrum, roughly one-third of the area measured at least slightly above normal July rainfall, especially within several counties along the I-80 corridor, and also southwest of the Tri Cities. Some of the overall-wettest counties included: Phelps, Kearney, Harlan, Franklin, Hall, Hamilton and York. As for site-specific totals (NWS observer unless noted), a few of the wettest included: Edison (7.41"), Wilcox (6.87", NeRAIN observer), southeast side of York (6.63", NeRAIN observer), Holdrege (5.93") and 4 miles north of Aurora (4.67"). 

While there were no truly major flooding events during the month, a widespread swath of 2-5" of rain targeted portions of mainly Franklin, Webster, Nuckolls and southern Kearney counties on the 17th, causing mainly minor/short-term flooding issues within those counties and also allowing the Republican River to breach minor flood stage per the automated gauge near Guide Rock. 

- Temperatures: For the month as a whole, the majority of the 30-county area averaged only slightly warmer-than-normal (generally 1-2º with a few spots closer to 3º). However, the majority of the month was relatively hot area-wide, and at times very humid (especially in Nebraska counties). For most of the area, the peak of the worst July heat focused between the 15th-25th. However, each of the final 5 or 6 days of July averaged at least slightly cooler-than-normal area-wide, tempering the hotter trend and resulting in only the modestly above-average temperature departure for the month as a whole. 

As for monthly extremes across the coverage area per official NWS observers, one of the hottest highs was 109° near Alton KS on the 21st.  On the opposite end of the thermometer, most all areas recorded their coolest July lows right away on the morning of the 1st with widespread 50s, and as chilly as 48° at Ord airport, Greeley and Edison. 

- Severe Thunderstorms/Tornadoes: Although there were a handful of severe weather events during July (most of which only affected relatively small portions of of the local area), it was overall a relatively quiet month with no "major"/widespread events and no confirmed tornadoes. One of the "primary" severe weather events of July occurred early in the month on the evening of the 2nd into the early morning hours of the 3rd, as an organized complex of severe storms tracked southward through mainly Dawson/Gosper/Furnas counties in Nebraska before turning more southeastward through portions of north central Kansas. These storms resulted in several reports of 60-75 MPH winds, including measured 72 MPH gusts near Cambridge. As for July hail, the largest reported stones of golf ball to baseball size struck the Loup City area on the evening of the 8th. 

2017 Nebraska Cooperative Observer Precipitation Tables (around 45 sites)
2017 Kansas Cooperative Observer Precipitation Tables (around 18 sites)
(for the 2017 tables, data for the previous month usually gets updated by around the 15th of the current month)

2016 Nebraska Cooperative Observer Precipitation Tables (around 45 sites)
2016 Kansas Cooperative Observer Precipitation Tables (around 18 sites)