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Weekly High Plains Drought Update - June 21, 2018
Author: Gannon Rush - High Plains Regional Climate Center
Published: 2018-06-21 19:24:19
Updated:
It was a warm week for the majority of the High Plains, with several areas receiving beneficial precipitation. This week’s US Drought Monitor shows the removal of moderate drought (D1) conditions for western North and South Dakota, with only a small patch of severe drought (D2) and D1 conditions remaining in the Minot, ND area. Extreme drought (D3) conditions were removed for southwest Kansas and the extreme southeast border of Colorado. The areas of abnormally dry (D0) and D1 conditions in southeast Nebraska and southeast North Dakota improved and reduced in size as well. However, as a result of continued dryness and above-normal temperatures, D1 conditions expanded in south central Nebraska and east central South Dakota. D0 conditions also expanded in eastern South Dakota now covering most of eastern part of the state. D0 and D1 conditions also expanded in eastern Kansas due to the lack of precipitation in last 90 days.
Despite the precipitation in Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado, the topsoil moisture percent that is short to very short increased this week with Nebraska seeing the greatest increase at 13%. Winter Wheat conditions degraded slightly in Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota but improved in Kansas. Pasture conditions improved slightly in the Dakotas but degraded significantly in Colorado and Kansas. For example, the percent of pastureland in poor to very poor condition degraded by 8% in Colorado and 5% in Kansas compared to last week, while conditions improved by 2% in the Dakotas.
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook has chances for above-normal temperatures in the High Plains region, while chances for near-normal temperatures are present in northern Wyoming. Chances for above-normal precipitation is present in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and parts of Wyoming. The 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast indicates a likelihood of precipitation throughout the High Plains, with the greatest amounts expected in Kansas and southern Nebraska with localized heavier amounts in western Kansas.
