Wichita continues to experience ‘exceptional drought.’ When can Kansas expect relief?

Kansas could start to see some relief from dry conditions by the end of summer, but not enough to end the drought, according to a local forecaster.

The Wichita area is about 5 inches below precipitation normals for the year. Wichita normally experiences 13.51 inches of precipitation this time of year, but so far the area has only seen 8.28 inches as of Monday. This time last year, Wichita had received 20.12 inches, the National Weather Service told the Eagle Tuesday.

With this low amount of rainfall, Wichita is labeled as experiencing an “exceptional drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Compared to the rest of the state, Wichita is one of the worst areas and among those experiencing the most severe drought.

“You can see south-central Kansas, where we are, in that exceptional drought area,” Kelly Butler, National Weather Service forecaster, told the Eagle Monday. “That extends into portions of western-central Kansas.”

Even with recent heavy rainfall over the past week, including the 1.28 inches recorded Monday, the drought still remains a concern.

Last week, Wichita officials expressed concern with the ongoing drought, sharing efforts the city is taking to preserve as much water as possible, including the possibility of entering the second stage of the city’s drought plan by the end of the year.

Here’s what to know about the current state of Kansas’ drought and when the state might see relief.

Note: This graphic will automatically update as new data become available.

When will the state see relief from drought?

Kansas has been experiencing drought-like conditions for more than a year, Janet Salazar, hydrologist with the NWS, said. As for Wichita, the area has been seeing dry conditions for about 10 months.

“I’d say about August of last year, we started to see more noticeable impacts of extreme to moderate drought in [the] southern, southeastern part of Kansas, [and] it just spread out,” Salazar said.

In the last four weeks, conditions in the Wichita area haven’t seen much change. But in far western Kansas, Butler said you see minor changes due to frequent showers in that area.

“That’s actually been helping ... not enough to cause significant change, given the exceptional drought that the majority of us are in, but it’s definitely trying to chip away,” the forecaster noted.

Butler said the best way to end a drought is an influx of major showers, but that’s not something you can bet on.

“Usually we’re banking on your severe storms ... that kind of move across the state and dump a bunch of water,” Butler said. “But we just haven’t seen that so far.”

Salazar said by the end of the summer, the state could see some relief from the drought, but not enough to cause significant change.

“It’s looking like some improvement, a little bit of relief, but it’s not going to be taken away,” Salazar said. “Just the outer fringes of the drought, where it’s either normal or abnormally dry, that may drop off but overall it’s looking like the drought’s going to stay, just slightly improved.”

The transition to an El Niño, which favors lower-than-average temperatures for the area, could bring some relief to the state in the fall season, but exactly when those effects occur depend on the strength of the climate pattern.

An El Niño is a weather pattern that occurs when water in the central Pacific Ocean becomes warmer than usual, which can affect the weather worldwide.

How you can preserve water during the drought in Kansas

Water preservation is the best thing you can do to help with during a drought.

The city of Wichita has an online list of ways you can save water this summer. According to city officials, 20% of someone’s water usage is for outdoor purposes.

Here are some tips from the city on how to use less while outside:

• If you water your grass, do so before 10 a.m.
• Water your grass less often, and instead water deeper
• Keep your grass an inch higher than past summers
• Visit a carwash instead of washing a car at home
• Try different ways to clean without using water

You can visit savewichitawater.com to see more tips and what the city is doing to preserve the resource.

Lindsay Smith

The Wichita Eagle

Lindsay Smith is a suburban news reporter for the Wichita Eagle, covering the communities of Andover, Bel Aire, Derby, Haysville and Kechi. She has been on The Eagle staff since 2022 and was the service journalism reporter for three years. She has a degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism from Wichita State, where she was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. You can reach her via email at lsmith@wichitaeagle.com.