Weekly High Plains Drought Update - April 19, 2018

Heavy snowfall in the northern High Plains brought some relief from drought conditions in the Dakotas. The area of severe drought (D2) in both North and South Dakota was reduced to moderate drought (D1) this week, along with large reductions of D1 and abnormally dry (D0) conditions in both states. D0 conditions were also removed in Nebraska’s panhandle and reduced in northeastern Colorado. However, the drought in the southern portion of the High Plains persists, with the slight expansion of extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4) drought in south central Kansas and the introduction of D4 conditions in southwestern Colorado.

Topsoil moisture, winter wheat, and livestock were impacted this week by drought conditions in the southern part of the region and winter weather conditions to the north. This week’s USDA’s Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin reports that topsoil moisture is 61% short to very short in Colorado and 72% short to very short in Kansas. Winter wheat conditions were also updated for the High Plains, with the following ratings of poor to very poor: Colorado (24%), Kansas (46%), Nebraska (7%), and South Dakota (20%). Through social media, several farmers also reported, a higher than normal percentage of calving and lambing mortality due to cold and wet conditions in the Dakotas and Nebraska. However, no official numbers have been declared for these losses.

The Climate Prediction Center’s 6 to 10-day outlook is favoring above-normal temperatures in Colorado and Wyoming, along with above-normal precipitation favored for Colorado, Kansas, much Nebraska, and southern Wyoming. The 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast looks promising with precipitation expected across most of the High Plains, with the highest amounts in southern and western Kansas, western Nebraska, and central Colorado.