More rain means more help for area farmers. On Wednesday night about a quarter of an inch fell in the area, adding to nearly an inch of rain from the previous night and morning, according to the National Weather Service office in Topeka.

“It’s going to really help,” said Bill Wood, director of the Douglas County extension office.

Recent rain could give a boost to warm and cool season grasses planted by farmers and set to come up throughout the spring. It also brings needed moisture in advance of the corn and soybean planting season and helps fields planted with grapes, berries and other produce, Wood said.

According to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor, released Thursday, Douglas County and nearly the entirety of eastern Kansas were in moderate drought as of April 1. Much of central and western Kansas was in severe drought, and the westernmost counties in the state were experiencing extreme drought.

Recent dryness in the county also brought fire risks to the area. Several area counties, including Douglas, were taken off the critical list for fire risk, according to the National Weather Service. But Bill Gargan, a meteorologist with the service, said that while moisture content in fields has improved with the rains, dead grass that could pose a fire hazard remains.

Farmers needed this week’s rains, but they could use even more as the corn and soybean planting seasons approach. More rain is also needed, especially in the northern parts of the county, to help refill ponds used to feed livestock, Wood said.

Meteorologists see a chance for more rain during the weekend and next week, but it will likely be light, Gargan said.