Posted on Tue, Jul. 10, 2007

Grass is greener but drought still severe

GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN TODAY, WEDNESDAY

By Andy Mead

AMEAD@HERALD-LEADER.COM

The rain that drenched Lexington on the Fourth (and early Fifth) of July did little to improve the long-term drought prospects.

The weekly Palmer Drought Severity Index released yesterday shows that Lexington and the Bluegrass region still is in severe hydrological drought.

That means that streams, rivers, lakes and ground water levels are low. The state Division of Water says that's because rainfall has been below normal since last November.

But with the recent rains, the grass is greener.

"If we get timely rains ... it's just a boon to agriculture, gardens, golf courses -- it's even helped pastures. But hydrologically, it doesn't do a whole lot," said Tom Priddy of the University of Kentucky Agricultural Weather Center.

The forecast calls for a good chance of rain today and Wednesday, he said.

Priddy also pointed out that drought status also depends on when and where rain falls. Most of last week's rain fell in the northern part of the state. Most of the southern counties got much less rain. The regions on which the Palmer Index is based generally run north to south.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, another drought indicator that doesn't rely on regions, shows extreme drought extending into some Kentucky counties along the Tennessee border. Much of the rest of the state is in severe drought on that indicator.

The Palmer Index shows the western half of Kentucky in moderate drought, and the eastern half in severe drought.

It says the Bluegrass area needs 6.74 inches of rain above normal levels to end the drought.