Hays and southeast Ellis County received some much-needed rainfall Monday evening as a December thunderstorm rolled into the area.
The K-State Ag Research Center reported 0.68 inches of rain — the first recorded accumulation in the month of December. There were several areas of 0.75 inches of rain from CoCoRaHS reports, with the highest a report of 0.84 inches southwest of Hays.
The Victoria area also received about a half-inch of precipitation, although Ellis-area reports ranged from less than two-tenths to trace.
Areas of Russell County also received more than a half-inch of rain, according to reports.
Hays remains more than 6.5 inches below the annual 153-year moisture average.
As the week continues, the National Weather Service in Dodge City is calling for windy and cooler conditions, with a high in the upper-40s Tuesday dropping to highs in the low- to mid-30s through Friday.