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Weekly High Plains Drought Update - July, 19 2018
Author: Emily Brown - High Plains Regional Climate Center
Published: 2018-07-31 15:44:07
Updated:
The majority of the High Plains experienced another warm week, with variable rainfall across the region. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, slight improvements were made in the region, with a reduction of abnormally dry (D0) conditions in central North Dakota and northeastern South Dakota. A small area in central Kansas also improved from extreme drought (D3) to severe drought (D2). Despite pockets of above-normal rainfall in eastern Kansas, D3 conditions were introduced in southeastern Kansas and the Kansas side of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. A small pocket of exceptional drought (D4) was also introduced southwest of Topeka, KS.
According to the USDA’s Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, corn and pasture conditions slightly degraded in a majority of the High Plains states. The corn crop was faring well for the most part, but was rated 20% poor to very poor in Kansas, 10% poor to very poor in Colorado and 7% poor to very poor in South Dakota this week. The percent of pastureland rated poor to very poor per state is as follows: Colorado (54%), Kansas (31%), Nebraska (8%), North Dakota (6%), and South Dakota (11%). Streamflow along the Missouri River was reported as normal throughout North Dakota and South Dakota, while ranking above-normal between Sioux Falls, SD and St. Joseph, MO. Areas around the river should remain cautious of flooding if heavy rainfall occurs.
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook favors below-normal temperatures throughout most of the High Plains, while southwestern Colorado and extreme southwestern Wyoming are favored to have above-normal temperatures. Above-normal precipitation is favored in parts of Colorado, western Kansas, western Nebraska, and southeastern Wyoming; however, below-normal precipitation is favored in North Dakota, the majority of South Dakota, and western Wyoming. The 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast indicates a likelihood of precipitation across the High Plains region, with the greatest amounts expected in central Colorado.
