SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — We usually say normal in KELOLAND is the average of the extremes and this year proved that statement is true once again.

The annual precipitation total for Sioux Falls will come in almost exactly at normal at just under 28 inches. That’s much drier than recent years and the numbers Aberdeen and Pierre will fall short of normal.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll recall how dry the growing season began in parts of KELOLAND. The east-central southeast districts of South Dakota recorded the driest June conditions on records going back 127 years.

The rains came later in the summer and tilted the scales the other direction. In fact, the northeast district of South Dakota had its third wettest August on record, especially in the Watertown area.

The drought is still ongoing across large sections of western and central SD, but the average of the extremes has now balanced the scales for now in many areas of the east.

The drought and warmer cycles of weather associated with it did impact our yearly temperature trends, with much of KELOLAND averaging 1-3 degrees above normal.

With La Nina in place at the start of 2022, our risk of drought is an item to watch in the coming months. But just like the past 12 months proved, the month-to-month volatility in weather is more likely again for the new year.