The 2016 Annual Climate Summary Now Available

Overview - Record Warmth

The major highlight of the year was the record warmth that occurred throughout most of the High Plains, particularly in the Dakotas. Temperature departures ranging from approximately 2.0-4.0 degrees F (1.1-2.2 degrees C) above normal were experienced across most of the region, resulting in quite a few records for top 10 warmest year. A strong El Niño contributed to above-normal temperatures during the winter across the northern Plains. Warmer temperatures during winter and early spring caused mountain snowpack to suffer in Wyoming. While the summer was only slightly warmer than normal, the region experienced much-above-normal temperatures in June due to the occurrence of several heat waves. The warmth of the fall was particularly impressive, as it set several records around the region. Higher temperatures caused precipitation to fall more as rain instead of snow, which brought about a slow start to the snowpack season in the Rockies. However, the warmth extended the growing season by delaying the first fall freeze in many locations, and it also aided with harvest. The greatest below-normal temperature departures came at the end of the year, as several Arctic air masses moved through the region in December and brought some of the coldest temperatures of the year.

Precipitation varied from season to season, but most locations ended the year either slightly below or slightly above normal. However, wet conditions were somewhat more prominent, as there were several top 10 records for wettest year. Flood events were partially responsible for wetness in places such as Wichita, Kansas and Lander, Wyoming. Excessive wetness caused delays in spring planting and the emergence of various crop diseases in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. It was drier in Colorado and an area including western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, but the dryness was not record-breaking. While drought was a problem in a few locations throughout the year, it did not cause major impacts region-wide in 2016. In fact, conditions were favorable enough that corn, soybean, and sugar beet production were projected to hit record highs in 2016 in the U.S.

For more information on temperature, precipitation, and impacts from climate in 2016 in the High Plains region, please see the link to the full PDF of the summary: http://hprcc.unl.edu/climatesummaries.php