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High Plains Weekly Drought Update - May 14, 2020
Author: Gannon Rush - High Plains Regional Climate Center
Published: 2020-05-14 17:04:04
Updated:
Drought conditions continued to deteriorate in southern Colorado and western Kansas this past week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Extreme drought (D3), severe drought (D2), and moderate drought (D1) conditions were expanded after minimal precipitation has occurred in the past few months. Abnormally dry (D0) conditions were expanded in southeast Nebraska, western Wyoming, central Colorado, southwest Kansas, and southeast South Dakota. However, minor improvements to D0 conditions occurred in central Kansas, northeast Wyoming, central and northwest South Dakota, and north-central North Dakota.
According to the May 12th USDA Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, pasture conditions were mostly in good shape across the High Plains with the exception of Colorado, where 29% of pastures were in poor or very poor condition. Winter wheat was faring well in Nebraska and South Dakota, but conditions in Colorado and Kansas were not as good. In Colorado, 38% of winter wheat was in poor to very poor condition, while 24% of the Kansas winter wheat crop was in poor to very poor condition. Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions worsened throughout portions of the High Plains. Colorado was faring worst with 52% of topsoil moisture and 43% of subsoil moisture rated short to very short, followed by Kansas, where 44% of topsoil moisture and 31% of subsoil moisture were rated short to very short.
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook has increased chances for above-normal temperatures throughout most of the High Plains, except for western Colorado, where near-normal temperatures are expected, and western Wyoming, where below-normal temperatures are forecasted. Increased chances for above-normal precipitation are also present in the Dakotas, northern Wyoming, and western and central Nebraska. Chances for below-normal precipitation are present in south-central Wyoming and the majority of Colorado. The National Weather Service’s 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast predicts that precipitation will occur in most of the High Plains, with the greatest amounts expected in eastern Kansas.
