The National Weather Service said temperatures were mostly above average while precipitation was mostly below average for central, south central and southeastern Kansas during the month of September.
In its monthly climate report, the Weather Service said there were near-equal areas of drought improvement and drought degradation across Kansas over the past couple of months. The weather is expected to be mostly dry over the next few weeks, and that will continue to worsen drought conditions.
Wichita’s average temperature for September was 73.4 degrees, the coolest since 2020 although it was almost two degrees above normal.
The latest drought map has eastern Harvey County and the northeastern two thirds of Sedgwick County under abnormally dry conditions, with the rest of south central Kansas under moderate drought as of September 24th. Severe drought conditions were reported in southeastern Sumner and southwestern Cowley counties. The Weather Service said 40 percent of the state was under moderate drought, with 6 percent under severe drought, and 45 percent of the state was considered abnomally dry.
Continued drought conditions and drought development is expected across much of Kansas through December. A transition to a La Nina weather pattern is expected this fall and it will continue through the winter and early spring. La Nina generally favors warmer and drier conditions during the fall and winter in Kansas.
