March 2018 Climate Summary Now Available

Snowy Start to Spring in the North, Drought in the South

March yielded contrasting climate conditions across the High Plains region. In the Northern Plains, it was cold and snowy, as frequent cold air outbreaks and ample moisture produced several rounds of snow across the Dakotas. Several locations ended up in the top 10 of wettest and/or snowiest Marches on record, particularly in North Dakota. While cold temperatures were not record-breaking for the month, the continuation of below-normal temperatures throughout the winter and early spring combined with the lack of available feed due to last year’s drought led to increased instances of cattle and calf deaths across the Dakotas and Montana.

Farther south, precipitation deficits continued to accumulate in March, and drought expanded and intensified across portions of Colorado and Kansas. While the Colorado Rockies received some beneficial snowfall in March, mountain snowpack was still well below normal for the season, and with the normal peak of the mountain snowpack season approaching, it is unlikely that the deficit will be made up. Although the drought developed over winter, it has already impacted agriculture. For instance, the lack of precipitation and snow cover may have damaged alfalfa in the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado, according to an extension agent in the region. In Kansas, the worsening drought situation prompted the governor to make an official drought declaration for the entire state. Shortly after the drought declaration, Kansas lawmakers requested emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands. Another immediate concern was wildfires, as conditions in March were ripe for wildfires to develop and spread.

Although winter conditions allowed for the improvement of drought across the Northern Plains, this region is still dealing with impacts, such as the lack of available feed contributing to cattle deaths as mentioned above. According to NOAA, the 2017 Northern Plains drought had an economic impact of $2.5 billion on the Dakotas and Montana. Producers are concerned that this region will endure a second year of drought, hampering recovery from last year’s drought.

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