High Plains Weekly Drought Update - October 22, 2020

Drought conditions continued to degrade this past week, especially across the southern High Plains, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Exceptional drought (D4) expanded across western Colorado, while extreme drought (D3) expanded across central and eastern portions of the state into western Kansas and the panhandle of Nebraska. Severe drought (D2) spread across western Kansas and southwestern Nebraska. Moderate drought (D1) was introduced in central parts of Kansas, while it also expanded in the western portion of the state. Other minor degradations to drought and abnormally dry conditions occurred across the region as well.
 
According to the October 20th USDA Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, all states in the High Plains continued to have at least a third of pastures rated as poor or very poor. Wyoming pastures were faring worst in the High Plains, with 72% of pastures rated as poor to very poor. Soybean and corn harvest across the High Plains were ahead of the five-year average. Topsoil and subsoil moisture continued to fare the worst in Colorado and Wyoming, with more than 60% of topsoil and subsoil moisture rated short to very short in all High Plains states.

The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook has increased chances for below-normal temperatures throughout the entire High Plains. Increased chances for above-normal precipitation are present in Kansas along with the southern and eastern parts of Nebraska and Colorado; meanwhile, below-normal precipitation is favored in North Dakota, northern South Dakota, extreme northwestern Colorado, and northern and western parts of Wyoming. The National Weather Service’s 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast predicts some much-needed precipitation throughout the High Plains, with the greatest amounts possible in the drought-stricken areas of southwestern Colorado.