Summer leaves Southern Plains in drought
Rain expected in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas this week
![Generic drought image 9/27/21](https://images.foxweather.com/static.foxweather.com/www.foxweather.com/content/uploads/2021/09/668/376/drought-generic.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Cracked topsoil is seen in this June 28, 2020 image.
(Mike Erskine/Unsplash)
HOUSTON -- The sweltering summer has left parts of the Southern Plains parched, and the abnormally dry conditions will continue for a while.
The U.S. Drought Monitor showed parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas are in a moderate drought as of the Sept. 16 update. A small part of both Kansas and Oklahoma are in severe drought.
![Dought monitor Southern Plains 9/27/21](https://images.foxweather.com/static.foxweather.com/www.foxweather.com/content/uploads/2021/09/668/376/Drought-Monitor-Central.png?ve=1&tl=1)
(FOX Weather)
Analysts said temperatures in western Kansas and both the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles have been running about 4 degrees above average over the past month.
![Southern Plains temp avg 9/27/21](https://images.foxweather.com/static.foxweather.com/www.foxweather.com/content/uploads/2021/09/668/376/temp-30day-soplains-9-14-21.png?ve=1&tl=1)
Precipitation for the same area has been 25% below average for the month and 50% below average for the past two months.
![Southern Plains precip avg 9/27/21](https://images.foxweather.com/static.foxweather.com/www.foxweather.com/content/uploads/2021/09/668/376/precip-30day-soplains-9-14-21_0.png?ve=1&tl=1)
The high heat combined with the dried ground has meant lots of evaporation and runoff of what little precipitation has fallen.
The outlook calls for likely below-average precipitation for much of the Southern Plains through the fall, with drought conditions likely to develop or persist across the region.
![Seasonal precip outlook 9/27/21](https://images.foxweather.com/static.foxweather.com/www.foxweather.com/content/uploads/2021/09/668/376/cpc-precip-outlook-ond2021.gif?ve=1&tl=1)
Rainfall this week
A series of boundaries is forecast to move through the Southern Plains this week. That will bring a chance of showers, storms and even some widespread rain to the region.
It doesn’t appear the rain will be enough to snap the dry spell, but up to 3 inches of badly needed rain are possible in some places by next Monday.
![WPC QPF 9/27/21](https://images.foxweather.com/static.foxweather.com/www.foxweather.com/content/uploads/2021/09/668/376/qpf-92721.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)