Hays ? Weather officials are keeping an eye on conditions in northwest Kansas, where the last significant moisture came from heavy snows in 2006.

Farmers say even a 3-inch rain wouldn’t get them to where they need to be for the year. Most counties in the region have received less than 6 inches of rain for the year, compared with an average of about 11 inches.

Wallace County farmer Bill Mai said he’s holding out hope for a good wheat crop despite the limited rain.

“Our wheat is growing off that big snow storm of a year and a half ago,” Mai said.

Average rains this year are below normal.

“We’re dry, dry, dry, dry,” said Kansas State University agronomist Jeanne Falk, who covers Wallace, Sherman and Cheyenne counties. “The western half of each of these counties are incredibly dry. They’re definitely lacking on rainfall.”

The line between dry and not so dry is near Oakley, roughly where the heavy snows of 2006 began.

The state’s northwest counties are not on the state’s drought watch, but earlier this month, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius placed 13 southwest counties either on a drought watch or warning for the next two months. Still, Tracy Streeter of the Kansas Water Office said there is little difference between conditions in the northwest and southwest.

Conditions are deteriorating, with a sliver of southwest Kansas now considered in exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.