2017 Annual Climate Summary Now Available

Record Warmth, High Snowpack, Drought Characterize 2017

It was another warm year throughout the High Plains, as 2017 was among the top 10 of warmest years for several locations across the region. Colorado experienced the greatest departures, and Alamosa and Akron had their warmest years on record. The transition seasons were most responsible for this record-breaking warmth, as spring and fall temperatures were approximately 2.0-4.0 degrees F (1.1-2.2 degrees C) above normal. As for precipitation, wet and dry conditions were both present throughout the region. Much of the High Plains experienced a wet winter, and the southern portion of the region had a wet spring as well. Meanwhile, the summer was dry for most, and the fall brought both wet and dry conditions. The major precipitation stories of the year included the high snowpack in the Rockies and the Northern Plains drought. Mountain snowpack was plentiful throughout Wyoming and Colorado, and spring runoff caused streams to flood. However, the Dakotas and Montana experienced drought, which developed during the late spring and peaked during the summer, impacting crops and livestock.

While corn and soybeans did well nationally in 2017, it was a rough year for crops and livestock in the High Plains. In Kansas and Nebraska, winter wheat suffered due to the wet spring, and diseases such as wheat stripe rust, leaf rust, and Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus were reported by producers. In particular, a late-season winter storm dropped a heavy band of snow across the two states that knocked down wheat stands, and it killed thousands of cattle in Colorado. In June, cold temperatures caused frozen corn in South Dakota. In the Northern Plains, spring wheat did not fare well due to summer drought conditions. The drought dried up pastureland and created a hay shortage, forcing ranchers to find alternative feed or sell off livestock. In Nebraska, thousands of acres of corn were damaged during the fall due to a combination of conditions. High temperatures during pollination, followed by cooler temperatures in August led to heavy ears on weakened shanks, which made it easy for high winds in October to snap stalks and knock corn to the ground.

For more information on temperature, precipitation, and impacts from climate in 2017 in the High Plains region, please see the link to the full PDF of the summary: http://hprcc.unl.edu/climatesummaries.php