October 2018 Conditions: Drought-stricken areas of the region (especially those in Exceptional and Extreme Drought) have been improving with fall rains. As noted in the Drought Tendency map below, wetter-than-normal conditions for the month of October. Mary Knapp, of the K-State Weather Data Library had this to say about drought in the larger region: “The near normal temperatures in the west moderated the impacts of below- normal precipitation. Drought was completely removed from the west and greatly improved in the central divisions. Exceptional drought continues in eastern Kansas, and extreme drought has shifted into east central Kansas. Currently, over 77 percent of the state is drought-free, while under 1 percent is in exceptional drought conditions.” Knapp says that while the October outlook has increased chances for above-normal precipitation across most of the state, “a more even distribution across the month will be needed to continue improvement of drought conditions across the state. The temperature outlook is for warmer than normal temperatures statewide.”