Weekly High Plains Drought Update - September 28, 2017

Improvements in drought conditions continued this week across the High Plains, according to the US Drought Monitor. Counties in eastern North and South Dakota saw improvements, reducing conditions from moderate drought (D1) to abnormally dry (D0), with some counties out of dryness completely. Thanks to heavy rainfall, central North and South Dakota also saw the reduction of severe drought (D2) conditions, which shrank in areal coverage this week. Central Kansas also saw a reduction in area previously depicted in D1 conditions. No degradations were noted in this week’s US Drought Monitor for the Northern Plains.

The crops and pastures of the High Plains region are steadily improving as we come to the end of September. Montana saw the most improvement, with the area in poor to very poor pasture conditions being reduced by 7%. Topsoil moisture is also improving, as all states in the High Plains now have at least 1% topsoil moisture surplus compared to last week. Kansas, however, has seen an increase in areas rated poor to very poor conditions for pasture, sorghum, corn, and soybeans.

According to the 7-day outlook from the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast, rainfall is favorable across the region, with possibilities of up to 2.0” in the western half of the High Plains and at least 0.5” in the eastern half, with northeastern Nebraska expecting heavier rainfall. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center also predicts an increased chance for above-normal precipitation for the Northern Plains in the next 6 – 10 days, with higher probability for North Dakota and eastern Montana. Kansas and eastern Colorado are predicted to see near-normal precipitation. Above-normal temperatures are likely across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, eastern North Dakota, and South Dakota, whereas Montana, Wyoming, and northwestern North Dakota have chances for cooler than normal temperatures.