Severe thunderstorms rolled across Nebraska last week, but the rain missed the driest of the wheat and barley crops. The dry spell has left the winter wheat crop in southwestern Nebraska and the Panhandle in jeopardy with a climatologist for the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln saying farmers should expect reduced yields.
Statewide, the drought picture isn't as grim as in past years. In 2002, all 93 counties were declared federal disaster areas due to drought.
This month, the National Weather Service expects above-normal temperatures with normal rainfall.