High Plains Weekly Drought Update - January 10, 2019

This past week, a majority of the High Plains region experienced dry and relatively warm conditions. According to the US Drought Monitor, areal coverage of moderate drought (D1) conditions in northern North Dakota were reduced, and improvements were made to small areas of extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4) drought conditions in southern Colorado. However, abnormally dry (D0) conditions were expanded in northern Colorado and central Wyoming due to mounting precipitation deficits.

Statewide snowpack in Wyoming and Colorado remained slightly below normal this week. The southwestern basins of Colorado, which have been in drought for over a year, remained below normal as the rest of the state’s basins ranged from near normal to slightly above normal. Basins in western and central Wyoming that have been in drought remained below normal as well.

The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook has increased chances of above-normal temperatures throughout the High Plains except for portions of North Dakota, where near-normal temperatures are expected. Increased chances for above-normal precipitation are present in western Wyoming, western Colorado, eastern Kansas, and southeast Nebraska. According to the 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast, precipitation is likely in Kansas, Colorado, central Wyoming, and southeast Nebraska. The greatest amounts of precipitation are expected in southeast Kansas.