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High Plains Weekly Drought Update - January 17, 2019
Author: Emily Brown - High Plains Regional Climate Center
Published: 2019-01-17 17:23:51
Updated:
This week, a majority of the High Plains received below-normal precipitation, with the exception of snow that fell across Colorado, Kansas, and southeastern Nebraska. With above-normal precipitation in central Colorado, areas of abnormally dry (D0), moderate drought (D1), and severe drought (D2) conditions south of Pueblo improved this week. However, below-normal precipitation and below-average snowpack in Wyoming led to expansions of D0 and D1 conditions in central and western portions of the state.
While welcomed precipitation in Colorado improved snowpack conditions, dryness in Wyoming caused statewide snowpack percentages to decrease. The southwestern basins of Colorado remained below normal this week, but have continued to improve compared to previous weeks despite being in extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4) drought.
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook has increased chances of below-normal temperatures throughout the High Plains. Increased chances for above-normal precipitation are present in the Dakotas, Nebraska, eastern Colorado, eastern Wyoming, and northwest Kansas. According to the 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast, precipitation is likely throughout the High Plains with the greatest amounts expected in the Colorado and Wyoming Rockies, as well as southeastern Kansas.
