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Locally heavy thunderstorms brought much-needed rain to parts of Nebraska during August, bringing short-term relief to some drought areas. However, long-term moisture deficits continued to be severe, with the state having the third driest February-August to December-August in the 108-year record (see table below).
According to the Nebraska state climatologist (Al Dutcher), by August 20 all irrigation delivery systems had been shut off across the state. This normally doesn't happen until the August 30-September 15 period.
As noted by the state climatologist and by the High Plains Regional Climate Center, the Platte River, which is the main river running east-west across the state, had essentially no flow during August near Grand Island and as far east as Columbus. This summer is the first time in the memory of some long-time residents that the Platte River has run dry.
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