Year in review stories are a common newspaper feature as the calendar rolls over into a new year. This week, we looked back on the 2021 weather. The folks at the National Weather Service office in Hastings remember 2021 as a somewhat odd precipitation year within their 30-county coverage area, especially considering that one particular month (March) had far more of an influence on annual totals than is typical.

The year as a whole was wetter than 2020, featuring a varied mix of generally modestly above and below normal precipitation. Indeed, it was roughly a 50-50 split across the area between above and below normal totals. Some of the overall-driest locales (compared to normal) concentrated: 1) within some northern and western local Nebraska counties (such as Valley, Nance and Dawson) 2) far southeast local Nebraska counties (including Thayer) 3) parts of north central Kansas especially south of Highway 24 (particularly Mitchell County). Meanwhile, for the roughly half of the area that measured above normal precipitation, the overall-highest totals concentrated primarily within two pockets. One was centered over several southwestern Nebraska counties (such as Franklin, Phelps and Harlan) and the other, smaller pocket of solidly-above normal centered across Polk County in the northeast.

But getting back to how much of an unusual influence March had on precipitation totals for the year as a whole. March saved 2021 from being a much drier year. More specifically, March featured at least near-record rainfall totals across the area with most places tallying between 4 to 9 inches which generally was 3 to 6 times normal. Subtracting March out of the picture, the other 11 months of the year were drier-than-normal across most of the area. For the majority of the 30-county area, anywhere from six to eight of the final nine months of the year (April-December) featured below normal precipitation.

The year ended very dry especially within most of north central Kansas where November to December combined featured no more than 0.15” in most spots and setting the stage for significant wildfires on Dec. 15. As 2021 drew to a close, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicated Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions across the vast majority of the 30 counties with pockets of embedded Moderate Drought (D1) in portions of north central Kansas and near the Nebraska Tri-Cities.

It’s not quite time to bring out the beach chairs and the flip flops but the Accumulated Winter Serverity Index shows this to be the midlest winter season (through Monday) in at least 10 seasons.