Rain barely affects drought

Lawrence got a little rain this week but not enough to catch up with average rainfall for the year. In short, we’re still in a drought, and it’s likely to stay that way.

On Friday, .02 inch of rain fell in the area — a welcome sight, perhaps, but hardly a salve to the rain deficit of 11.56 inches so far this year. Scott Blair, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Topeka, said that the rainfall so far this month is about average, but the average for the year is about 29 inches; Lawrence has gotten 17.43 inches.

Lower-than-average temperatures are expected in the upcoming week — the average high for early September is 85 degrees — and there’s a slight chance of rain some time between Wednesday and Friday, Blair said. But it may be like last Friday’s showers — small.

“Everybody got excited for a quick downpour, but it just wasn’t long enough to do much,” he said. “The drought conditions have persisted.”