September 2015 Climate Summary Now Available

Overview: Record-setting warmth

September was a record-setting month for much of the High Plains region and beyond. The jet stream stayed well to the north of the region in Canada, which allowed for unseasonably warm temperatures. The month started off extremely warm with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C) in central and western portions of Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Daily average temperature departures ranged from 10.0-20.0 degrees F (5.6-11.1 degrees C) above normal for several days. Although there was a dip in the middle of the month, temperatures rebounded and this resulted in an overall very warm month for the region.

Across the U.S., temperature departures of 3.0-6.0 degrees F (1.7-3.3 degrees C) were common for parts of the Southwest, the Plains, the Midwest, and the Northeast. Embedded areas of the Plains, upper Midwest, and Northeast had average temperature departures in excess of 6.0 degrees F (3.3 degrees C) above normal. The only areas to have average temperatures which were below normal were the Pacific Northwest and portions of the southeastern U.S. Precipitation was variable across the country with much of the western and south-central U.S. receiving, at best, 25 percent of normal precipitation. This translated into deficits of at least 1.50 inches (38 mm) for a large area encompassing Texas through Alabama and portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. Meanwhile, precipitation totals of at least 150 percent of normal occurred for some areas of the East Coast, southern portions of California and Arizona, a few pockets of the central U.S., and an area stretching from northern Utah through Montana.

Overall, the generally warm and dry conditions were good for producers as these helped progress the maturity of late planted crops, aided in the dry down process, and allowed for fall harvesting and/or planting activities to begin. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), record corn and soybean yields are expected in both Nebraska and South Dakota, while record hard spring wheat yields are forecast for North Dakota.

Much more information is available in the PDF version of the summary including temperature and precipitation highlights, streamflow and drought updates, and a look at the upcoming season. Click here to read more