Weekly High Plains Drought Update - September 14, 2017

Dry, hot conditions prevailed this week across the High Plains region. Temperatures were well above-normal, with widespread departures in excess of 6°F. The highest departures were concentrated in the western part of the region, where departures of 9-12°F were common, and some locations set new records for daily highs. Meanwhile, precipitation was confined to a few small pockets, with the highest totals occurring in central Colorado and western areas of Montana and Wyoming. These conditions caused drought to expand in some areas and improve in others. The largest change occurred in eastern North Dakota were moderate drought conditions (D1) developed. This increased the total area in drought in the state from about 66% to 93%. Another notable change was the development of severe drought conditions (D2) in northeastern Kansas.

This past week’s weather was a welcome sight to many producers, as this helped some crops advance closer to maturity. But, wildfires continued to be a concern, especially across the west. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, several large fires are currently burning in the region with 22 located in Montana, 2 in South Dakota, and 1 in Wyoming.

According to the Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day and 8-14 day outlooks, the current temperature regime should see a complete reversal, with above-normal temperatures for the eastern U.S. and below-normal temperatures for the western U.S. This, coupled with a favorable 7-day outlook from the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast, could mean improvements for the drought-stricken areas of the region. Heavy precipitation is forecast for areas of Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming, as well as the entire state of North Dakota. The eastern sides of Nebraska and Kansas could also pick an inch or two of rainfall.