http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

v 2.4.3.0

Last summer was the driest we have seen in a long time. Unfortunately, we did not get a lot of snowfall this winter and to date we have had .77 inches of moisture since the first of March (here at the house). We are in production agriculture, so we are at the whim of Mother Nature. We turn our cows out the first of March to calve. The calving pastures were short as we didn't have any growth from last year. Green grass is slow to come as the weather has been cool, which is good on one hand and not so good on another. Water is going to be critical this year. The reservoirs are either dry or have very little water in them. We have had to rework a number of wells, tanks and pipelines to provide water for the cattle. The cattle are in rough shape as they chase green grass. Irrigating water is short, so it looks like we will end up purchasing hay again this year. We are in a dry climate - average rainfall is only 6-9 inches per year. But it is amazing how the countryside will react if we have a "normal" year. All this country needs is a little water!! CoCoRaHS Report from Station #Lysite 12 NE on 5/12/2013