June 2017 Climate Summary Now Available

Overview - Drought Intensifies Rapidly in the Northern Plains

June brought a variety of weather conditions to the High Plains, including widespread dryness, heat waves, severe weather outbreaks, and flooding from snowmelt. Beginning with the dryness, below-normal precipitation during spring carried into June in the Dakotas and northeastern Montana, which resulted in rapid intensification of drought in this region. As of the end of June, much of this area had received no more than 50 percent of normal precipitation since April, which is a critical time for receiving ample precipitation so that crops take in adequate moisture for growth and pastures green up to feed livestock. The lack of precipitation depleted topsoil moisture, thus causing agricultural impacts to accumulate quickly. According to the July 5, 2017 U.S. Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, 68 percent of South Dakota’s topsoil moisture was rated short to very short, compared to 54 percent in North Dakota. In South Dakota, nearly two-thirds of the spring and winter wheat crops were in poor to very poor condition. Similar conditions were reported for pastures in the Dakotas. Heat waves experienced in June exacerbated drought conditions, and without widespread precipitation and cooler conditions in July, the situation could become dire.

Severe weather and flooding also occurred throughout the High Plains in June. Reports of tornadoes, large hail, and high winds were numerous in all High Plains states. Severe weather impacted several cities and their surrounding areas. For instance, tornadoes touched down near Omaha, Nebraska and Grand Forks, North Dakota, and hail damage occurred in Lincoln, Nebraska and Cheyenne, Wyoming. Meanwhile, flooding continued on the Wind River and its tributaries in Wyoming, which was a result of runoff from the much-above-normal snowpack in the Wind River Range. The Casper Star Tribune stated that Fremont County, which includes the Wind River Indian Reservation and the cities of Lander and Riverton, was preparing for record-setting flooding during the first part of June. By the end of the month, floodwaters had begun to recede and many roads were reopened.

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