Update on Drought Conditions in the High Plains Region - November 20, 2014

It was a bitterly cold week across the High Plains region, and although there is snow cover, it has provided little drought relief. A historically cold air mass for this time of year impacted the High Plains, bringing temperatures as much as 25°F below normal. Snow blankets must of the region as well, but cold temperatures have prevented the snow from improving drought conditions. As a result, the entire region was status quo regarding the U.S. Drought Monitor this week.

The region is expected to warm up in the next week, but it does not appear that there will be much precipitation across the region. The Colorado Rockies region and extreme southeast Kansas appear to have the best chance for precipitation, but it does not look promising for the most drought-stricken areas in the region.

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