August 2016 Climate Summary Now Available

Overview - A Cooler End to the Summer Season

The summer ended with near-normal temperatures in August across the High Plains, but it was cooler compared to the above-normal temperatures experienced in most of the region in June and July. Average temperatures in August ranged from 2.0 degrees F (1.1 degrees C) below normal in the west to 2.0 degrees F (1.1 degrees C) above normal in the east, with near-normal temperatures in the central High Plains. Precipitation continued to be variable, with extreme wetness and dryness present throughout the area. A disparity in precipitation across the Missouri River Basin resulted in lower streamflows in the Upper Basin and higher streamflows in the Lower Basin, causing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to refrain from making releases to meet downstream targets, which is uncommon. As for drought conditions, beneficial rainfall improved conditions in western South Dakota/northeastern Wyoming, but the compounding precipitation departures across northwestern Wyoming caused expansion and intensification of drought in that area.

During this time of year, climate conditions can impact crops as they near maturity, as well as the beginning of harvest season. Corn and soybeans were faring well across the region, although their conditions were not as good in South Dakota where drought has been present. The drought-stricken areas of South Dakota continued to experience issues with forage and hay. In Wyoming, dryness was causing pasture and range conditions to suffer. Thanks to ample rainfall, topsoil moisture improved in South Dakota and Kansas during August, but topsoil was drying out across Nebraska and Colorado.

A major event worth noting that occurred outside the region was catastrophic flooding in Louisiana in mid-August. The flooding was caused by a slow-moving storm system that entered a moisture-rich environment and dumped over 30.00 inches (762 mm) of rain in just a couple of days near Baton Rouge. The storm was characterized as a 1 in 500 year flood event. According to the Associated Press, at least 40,000 homes were damaged, over 30,000 people had to be rescued from the rising floodwaters, and 12 parishes in Louisiana were declared major federal disaster areas.

For more information on temperature, precipitation, and impacts from climate in August in the High Plains region, please see the link to the full PDF of the summary: http://hprcc.unl.edu/climatesummaries.php