LINCOLN- Consistent rain has continued to take a bite out of drought conditions across the state. The latest drought monitor released Thursday by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows significant improvement, especially in the amount of severe drought. According to the monitor, severe drought in Nebraska, the third-worst category, declined from covering more than 46% of the state a week ago to less than 32% this week.

Extreme drought also declined from 19.27% last week to 15.7% this week, although the amount of exceptional drought remained the same at 2.63%. Many areas of the state, especially in eastern Nebraska, have gotten significant amounts of rain over the past few weeks. Lincoln got 5.61 inches in July, which is more than 2.3 inches above normal, and the most in a single month in more than four years.

Omaha got 6.3 inches in July, 2.75 inches above normal, and Norfolk received 5.37 inches, about 2.4 inches above average. Other places that saw much-above-normal precipitation in July included Beatrice, Columbus and Fremont. Rain is expected to continue over much of the state for the next two weeks of August.

For the full article click HERE