Update on Drought Conditions in the High Plains Region - April 21, 2015

As anticipated the High Plains received generous amounts of precipitation throughout the previous week. Areas in Colorado, southeastern Wyoming, Nebraska, and Kansas saw at least .5” of precipitation with the localized spots seeing upwards of two inches. However, southwestern Kansas and southeastern South Dakota, both areas in need of water, saw minimal amounts of precipitation over the last week.

In general, areas that saw copious amounts of precipitation also saw an improvement in drought conditions. Western Nebraska improved from Abnormal Dryness (D0) to experiencing no drought. Northeastern Colorado experienced this same drought improvement. Southern Kansas also saw an improvement from Extreme Drought (D3) to Severe Drought (D2). On the other hand, areas in South Dakota saw an increase from D0 to Moderate Drought (D1). It is also important to mention North Dakota in this. While not experiencing improving or degrading drought conditions currently, light rain and cooler temperatures helped to keep drought deterioration at bay.

While parts of our region received this much-needed precipitation, we still have 30-, 60-, and 90- day deficits. In order to see more improvements, we first need to see respectable rains continue throughout the following weeks. Luckily, light to moderate rainfall is predicted for the High Plains over the next week. As time progresses, we will be able to see how beneficial this is to the current drought conditions.

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