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September 2018 Climate Summary Now Available
Author: Crystal Stiles - High Plains Regional Climate Center
Published: 2018-10-05 11:03:51
Updated:
A Tale of Precipitation Extremes
After a cool August, September was warm for most of the High Plains region, especially across Colorado and Wyoming where many locations ranked among the top 10 warmest Septembers on record. On the other hand, precipitation varied across the region, with areas in the eastern High Plains experiencing excessive rainfall and flooding, while western areas of the region continued to be impacted by drought conditions. Streamflows were reflective of conditions, as high flows could be found throughout southeastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, and central Kansas, while streamflows were abysmal in Colorado and southern Wyoming.
September 30th marked the end of the water year, which is defined as the period from October 1 - September 30. Looking at precipitation during the water year is not only helpful to examine in mountainous areas where snowpack and its runoff primarily determine water supply, but also in other areas where the growing season is coming to a close and soil moisture recharge has begun. Water-year precipitation was extremely low in portions of Colorado this year, with several locations ranking in the top 10 driest water years on record. The following locations in Colorado ranked in the top 10 driest water years: Pueblo (2nd driest), Grand Junction (3rd driest), Denver (5th driest), and Alamosa (7th driest). It is also worth noting that Alamosa and Denver had their warmest and 9th warmest water years on record, respectively. The lack of precipitation during the water year caused water supply issues in Colorado, as many reservoirs were very low.
The harvest season is underway as the growing season is coming to an end. Crops matured early in much of the region this year due to very warm temperatures in the early part of the summer. As of the end of September, the harvest of corn and soybeans was ahead of schedule for most states in the region. However, producers were having trouble getting into the fields to harvest in wetter areas, so drier conditions are needed in order to make progress.
For more information on temperature, precipitation, and impacts from climate in September in the High Plains region, please see the link to the full PDF of the summary: https://hprcc.unl.edu/climatesummaries.php
