Update on Drought Conditions in the High Plains Region - August 25, 2015

A pretty dull week in regards to the USDM. We stayed mostly cool and somewhat wet in the High Plains. Areas in Kansas that needed the moisture the most didn’t get enough, while areas that didn’t need moisture got too much. However, Idaho and Montana (although not technically part of the High Plains) saw a slight expansion of moderate, severe and extreme drought (D1, D2 and D3). The change in the Idaho depiction is based on low stream flows in the Teton and Henrys Fork basins, and precipitation deficits during the last 60-90 days. Conditions here continue to worsen and have seen a dramatic increase in wildfire activity.

In North Dakota strong winds and cool temperatures of six to eight degrees below normal persisted for much of the week. Much needed rain of up to an inch covered most of the State, aiding crop development. Most of South Dakota experienced rain at least once throughout the end of the week. A strong storm system early in the week brought significant rain, wind, and cooler temperatures to many parts of the State. Rainfall amounts varied with the heaviest precipitation occurring across the central and northeast.  Temperatures averaged four to eight degrees below normal, as overnight lows fell into the upper 40s to low 50s during the week.

Well below normal temperatures were common across most of Nebraska. Portions of the east saw up to two inches of rainfall while the rest of the state remained relatively dry especially the southern and central counties. Most of Kansas experienced cool, wet conditions.

Hot conditions continued during the week with several areas impacted by locally heavy precipitation in Colorado. More frequent rains resulted in improved moisture supplies, particularly east of the Front Range. Isolated strong storms were also noted in eastern districts, with several instances of hail damage observed by reporters. Harvesting activities occurred in localities where field accessibility was feasible while winter wheat seeding commenced with strong initial gains reported. In Wyoming cooler and dryer conditions dominated around the state. Many areas are primed for wildfires.

To learn more about the U.S. Drought Monitor, please see: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu

To see the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, please see the Climate Prediction Center
here:http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/sdo_summary.html

To see the areas of agriculture affected by the drought, please see the USDA link: http://www.usda.gov/oce/weather/Drought/AgInDrought.pdf

To see the impacts of the drought, please see the Drought Impact Reporter here: http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/
Check out the table below for the drought conditions over the past 2 months for the High Plains Region.

To view statistics of the High Plains Region and each state check out the Regional Statistics here:
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/MapsAndData/DataTables.aspx

Drought Condition (Percent Area): High Plains Region