June 2011 Climate Summary

For a printable version of the climate summary which includes more figures, data tables, and state summaries, click here. 

Temperature Summary

June 2011 temperatures were generally lower than normal in the north and higher than normal in the south across the High Plains Region.  Average monthly temperatures ranged from near normal to 6.0 degrees F (3.3 degrees C) below normal in the Dakotas, Wyoming, Nebraska, and northern Colorado.  Meanwhile, average monthly temperatures ranged from near normal to 7.0 degrees F (3.9 degrees C) above normal in Colorado and Kansas.  

Many locations in Kansas ranked in the top 10 warmest Junes on record and set many daily high temperature records.  Dodge City, Kansas had its 5th warmest June on record (period of record 1874-2011) with an average temperature of 79.8 degrees F (26.6 degrees C).  The record, which was set in 1952, held at 81.7 degrees F (27.6 degrees C).  Interestingly, Dodge City had 10 days this month in which the maximum temperature was 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C) or greater.  Typically, Dodge City only has 1.5 days at or above 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C) in June.  June 1953 held onto the record with 11 days.  One of these particularly hot days was June 26th, when Dodge City tied for its highest maximum temperature of all time with 110 degrees F (43.3 degrees C).  The only other time that the temperature had been that high was June 29, 1998.

Precipitation Summary

This month, large areas of above and below normal precipitation occurred.  Areas of southern Colorado and southern Kansas received little to no precipitation, while a swath of above normal precipitation extended through central North Dakota, South Dakota, and into Nebraska.  Alamosa, Colorado, which was experiencing extreme drought the entire month, tied for its driest June on record (period of record 1906-2011).  This was the third June on record in which Alamosa did not receive any measurable precipitation (other years included 1980 and 1946).  Elsewhere, some locations received well over 200 percent of normal precipitation with Pierre, South Dakota being this month’s wet spot.  Total precipitation at Pierre this June was 8.31 inches (211 mm) which was 4.82 inches (122 mm) above normal and enough to set a new record (period of record 1893-2011).  The old record of 7.66 inches (195 mm) occurred just a few years ago, in 2008.  The plots below (left) show the temperatures and precipitation for Pierre, South Dakota over the past year.  The accumulated precipitation above normal from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 is in the blue shading.  More graphs like this one may be found via the Station Search tool.

Meanwhile, flood warnings along the Missouri River continued the entire month.  Numerous towns and hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland have been impacted by the flooding.  In addition, many roads were closed including parts of I-29 in Iowa, Missouri, and South Dakota.  According to the South Dakota State Climate Office, some residents of Pierre, Fort Pierre, and Dakota Dunes evacuated their homes.  Major flooding continued this month along not only the Missouri River, but also the Souris River which flows south from Canada into North Dakota.  Many towns along the river were impacted including Minot, Burlington, Sawyer, and Velva.  According to the North Dakota State Climate Office, in Minot, the state’s fourth largest city, 11,000 people were forced to evacuate in just 24 hours and numerous homes and businesses were damaged in the flood.  The river crested at a record 1561.72 feet which surpassed the old record of 1558 feet set in 1881.

Climate Outlook

El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle (ENSO)-neutral conditions are present in the equatorial Pacific and are expected to continue through summer.  The temperature outlook indicates a higher probability of above normal temperatures for most of southern Colorado.  Meanwhile, North Dakota, South Dakota, northern Wyoming, and a small sliver of northern Nebraska have a higher probability of below normal temperatures.  Equal chances of above, near, or below normal temperatures are predicted elsewhere in the Region.  The precipitation outlook indicates a higher probability of above normal precipitation for North Dakota, South Dakota, the northern half of Wyoming, and northern Nebraska.  Equal chances of above, near, or below normal precipitation are predicted elsewhere in the Region.  The seasonal outlooks combine the effects of long-term trends, soil moisture, and when applicable, ENSO.  More information about these forecasts can be found here.

Drought Watch

The U.S. Drought Monitor had slight changes throughout the month of June.  Hot and dry conditions caused an expansion of extreme drought (D4) in parts of south central Colorado.  Exceptional drought conditions (D5) were also expanded northward into extreme south central Kansas.  Since last month, abnormally dry conditions have also expanded to southwestern Colorado.  Heavy rains allowed for some improvement in southeastern Kansas where abnormally dry conditions (D0) and moderate drought conditions (D1) were eliminated, and also in northwestern Kansas, where D1 and severe drought conditions (D2 were erased.  Meanwhile, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming remained drought free, while only small portions of southeast and southwest Nebraska had D0 this month.  According to the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook released June 16th drought conditions across Colorado and Kansas were expected to improve.