Drought Conditions in the High Plains Region-Update July 25

Warm summer temperatures and minimal rainfall are hindering the improvements to the drought in the eastern half of the High Plains Region, while monsoon rains over the past few weeks continue to improve drought conditions in the western half of the High Plains Region. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the area of moderate drought (D1) in the Region improved this week to total 66.27%. This reduction in D1 happened in central Colorado and in southeast Kansas along the Oklahoma border. There was also an improvement in area of severe drought (D2) of about 0.5% this week. Again, this improvement happened along the Kansas-Oklahoma border.

At the state level, the northeastern portion of Colorado continues to improve. Extreme drought (D3) was reduced by about 2.75% in Colorado, bringing the total area of D3 to 31.17%. Although nearly a third of the state remains in D3, it is a 20% improvement since January 1^st. In northeast Kansas and southeast Nebraska, abnormally dry (D0) conditions have returned. Short term (30 day) precipitation deficits are nearing 3 inches in these areas. In Wyoming, D3 expanded in the southwest portion of the state. This increase totaled about 4% of the state, while the rest of the state's conditions remained the same this week. North Dakota still remains drought free, but there was the return of D0 to the central part of the state. Again 30 day precipitation deficits are nearing 3 inches in this area after an abundance of precipitation earlier this year. In South Dakota, conditions remained the same this week versus last. 

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/seasonal_drought.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/

      Drought Condition (Percent Area): High Plains Region