Regional Breakdown

June featured both ends of the weather extremes, with everything from wildfires to exceptionally strong thunderstorms. Some agricultural areas received much-needed rain; however, it was too late for wheat and grasslands. Drought remains an issue as well, particularly in parts of Colorado and Nebraska.

Wildfires along the Colorado and Utah border turned deadly towards the end of the month. Several small fires merged to create the Snyder Mesa fire, which has burned 28,000 acres (11,331 hectares) so far. During a burnover incident where the flames rapidly spread, three firefighters were tragically killed, and two others were severely burned. At the end of the month, close to 120,000 acres (48,562 hectares) were up in flames, with several fires having zero containment.

In Nebraska, wildfires still plague the state, particularly in the western half where drought conditions remain firmly entrenched. The South Fork fire in the northwestern part of the state burned nearly 40,000 acres (16,187 hectares) this month, adding to the historic totals for the year. Multiple evacuations were ordered, while an emergency declaration was issued to help combat the flames. The significant number of acres burned earlier in the year also destroyed land used for grazing cattle. Between the drought and lack of forage, there has been a sharp increase in the number of cattle being sold off in the state. Just this year alone, the cattle herd within Nebraska has shrunk nearly 20 percent.

Winter wheat harvest began within the region, with alarming reports on yields. In Kansas, close to 20 percent of crops were abandoned, and the final yields are expected to be among the worst in 50 years. Some reported decent yields so far, but others had ankle-height crops and yields at an abysmal 4 bushels an acre. Often called the “breadbasket” of America, large portions of the western half of the state received less than an inch of moisture during the critical growing months of February through April.

Temperature and Precipitation Overview

Above: Departure from 1991-2020 normal temperature (left) and percent of normal precipitation (right) for June 2026 in the High Plains region. Maps are produced by the High Plains Regional Climate Center and are available at: http://hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current

Precipitation

Precipitation was somewhat typical of the summer months, with some areas of well-above-normal and others nearly bone-dry. Western Kansas and parts of Nebraska received generous amounts this month, which was a well-needed change of pace for those areas. Out west, precipitation was very scarce, with some areas reporting zero amounts.

After the spigot was turned off last fall, western Kansas has been drenched recently. Grainfield (between Goodland and Hays) received 11.15 inches (28.32 cm) this month, nearly the same amount they had received from August of 2025 through the end of May. The bulk of this fell on the 21st, with 5.59 inches (14.20 cm) reported. Extensive flooding took place across northwestern Kansas from the storms on the 21st, with areas near Oberlin reaching levels not seen in 30 years. It was even wetter in the south-central and southeastern parts of the state. The town of Columbus in the southeastern corner observed 17.09 inches (43.41 cm), to rank as the fourth wettest of any month and fell just short of the record for June. Others in the area, including Coffeyville, Chanute, and Pittsburg, received at least 12 inches (30.48 cm) or more. Elsewhere in the state, Wichita recorded its second wettest June with 12.37 inches (31.42 cm) and eighth wettest month overall. This also included its second highest single-day total in June, with 5.31 inches (13.49 cm) falling on the 25th.

Up north in Nebraska, several areas received desperately needed rain. To the west of Lincoln, the town of McCool Junction reported over 10 inches (25.40 cm), and drought conditions were erased from the area. The surrounding area, which includes Aurora and York, received anywhere between 7 and over 9 inches (17.78 to 22.86 cm). Heavy precipitation would stretch from there all the way up to the South Dakota border. Grand Island and Ord reported close to or above 6 inches (15.24 cm), while farther to the north, Burwell observed 7.56 inches (19.20 cm) to record their second wettest June. Rounding things out, Valentine ranked as the seventh wettest for the month with 6.89 inches (17.50 cm). Despite the presence of several bands of heavy rainfall in the state, several areas missed out. Chadron reported only 1.03 inches (2.62 cm) this month, which ranked as the seventh driest. The nearby towns of Harrison and Agate were equally dry, with just over an inch (2.54 cm) in both places. All the way across the state, the northeastern corner missed out on all the moisture as well. Tekamah observed 1.15 inches (2.92 cm), while others such as Norfolk and Wisner were below 2 inches (5.08 cm).

Outside of the northeastern corner of Colorado, precipitation within the state was abysmal. Akron recorded its third wettest June and eighth wettest month overall with 6.76 inches (17.17 cm), with the surrounding area receiving anywhere from 2 to just over 5.5 inches (5.08 to 13.97 cm). Moving towards the Rockies, Greeley had its second driest June with only 0.23 inches (5.84 mm), and further south, Trinidad also ranked second with 0.11 inches (2.79 mm). On the west side of the mountains, only a handful of stations reported over an inch (2.54 cm) of moisture.

Up in the Dakotas, it was a mixture of both wet and dry. Langdon, North Dakota, near the Canadian border, reported its wettest June and third wettest month overall with 7.93 inches (20.14 cm). Nearby Pembina ranked sixth with 7.67 inches (19.48 cm), and Cavalier ranked fifth with 6.33 inches (16.08 cm). Across the state line in South Dakota, Rapid City was exceptionally dry with only 0.53 inches (1.35 cm) to rank the second driest.

Regional Precipitation

Above: Total precipitation in inches (left) and departure from normal precipitation in inches (right) for June 2026. Maps are produced by HPRCC and can be found on the Current Climate Summary Maps page at: http://hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current.

Temperatures

While there were some stretches of warmer temperatures in June, for the most part, it was once again near normal for the second month in a row. Large swaths of below-normal temperatures were present across the region, which has been a rare occurrence in the past year. The warmest temperatures were found in Colorado, with departures of up to 9 degrees F (5 degrees C).

Colorado was once again on the warmer side this month, continuing the overall trend this year. Along the Front Range, several major towns were in the top ten warmest Junes or were close to it. Pueblo ranked ninth with an average temperature of 74.8 degrees F (23.8 degrees C) and nearby Colorado Springs ranked 13th with an average temperature of 69.4 degrees F (20.8 degrees C). Further to the north, Longmont and Fort Collins ranked seventh and ninth, respectively, with monthly averages just above 70 degrees F (21.1 degrees C). Within the Rockies, Dillon recorded its warmest June while Cheeseman and Climax were in the top five. In the western areas, Alamosa ranked seventh, and Grand Junction ranked ninth. These warmer temperatures kept many locations at or close to their warmest year to date. Alamosa and Pueblo are currently having their warmest year so far, while Colorado Springs, Denver, and Grand Junction rank second. Other notables include Fort Collins, which, despite relatively cooler temperatures these past few months, is still 1.4 degrees F (0.8 degrees C) warmer than 2012. The same can be said for nearby Longmont, which is 1.6 degrees F (0.9 degrees C) warmer than its previous record in 1986.

It was a fairly normal month for everyone else, but despite that, most locations outside of North Dakota are still within the top five warmest years. In Wyoming, those ranking warmest include Cheyenne, Lander, Gillette, Rock Springs, and Riverton. Coming close are Casper at third and Sheridan at sixth. Just to the east, Rapid City, South Dakota ranks third, as does Menno. Yankton and Vermillion are not far behind at fourth. Dropping into Nebraska, the western half, including Chadron, McCook, Ogallala, Scottsbluff, and Valentine, are in second place or tied for it. Elsewhere, Grand Island and North Platte are in the top five while Lincoln and Omaha are in the top ten. Finally rounding it out with Kansas, those within the top three are Concordia, Dodge City, Goodland, and Wichita. Salina ranks fifth, and Topeka is seventh to complete the list of major locations. The fact that many of these locations have been near or close to normal these past two months just highlights how abnormally warm it was this spring.

Drought Conditions

Overall, drought conditions improved in the High Plains this month. In Colorado and portions of the Dakotas, there were some areas with several categories of degradation but nothing dramatic. Meanwhile, the heavy precipitation in Kansas and Nebraska greatly improved conditions in both states. Overall, the percentage of the region in D0 to D4 (abnormally dry to exceptional drought) decreased by over 2 percent.

In Nebraska, the two bands of heavy rainfall provided relief from drought conditions. At the end of June, both D4 and D3 (extreme drought) were at half of what they were at the beginning of the month. The area near Aurora and York that received over 7 inches ( cm) of rain eliminated any concern in the area, with Hamilton County drought-free for the first time since November of last year. Despite the widespread rainfall this month, three stubborn areas of D4 remain in the state. The first is in the northeastern corner near Lewis and Clark Lake, while the other two are out in the panhandle near Alliance and Sidney.

After steadily declining for most of the year, conditions in Kansas dramatically improved this month. D3 was erased from the southwestern corner, while only 8 percent of the state is in D2 (severe drought). Outside of a patch of D1 (moderate drought) from Great Bend to McPherson, most areas east of Hays are drought-free.

June was less than ideal for Colorado, especially after seeing some improvements in May. The large area of D4 centered over Eagle and Aspen remained untouched, while another area of D4 was introduced near La Junta in the southeastern half of the state. Only the few areas in the northeastern corner of the state that received heavy precipitation this month are still abnormally dry and not in drought conditions. The only glimmer of hope is the possibility of an above-average monsoon season this year. Elsewhere in the region, both improvements and degradation were observed. According to the Climate Prediction Center’s U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook for July, drought is likely to redevelop in eastern Colorado and western Kansas.

U.S. Drought Monitor	Drought Monitor 1-Month Change

The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced as a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Drought Mitigation Center, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For current Drought Monitor information, please see: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/.

Climate Outlooks

According to the Climate Prediction Center, an El Niño Advisory is present.  For more information, visit: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf

The National Weather Service’s long-range flood outlook indicates increased chances of minor flooding in Kansas and Nebraska through September. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), fire potential will be elevated in the western portions of the region through August.  

The seasonal temperature and precipitation outlooks presented below combine the effects of long-term trends, soil moisture, and, when applicable, the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle (ENSO). To learn more about these outlooks, please visit http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov.

Temperature

The three-month temperature outlook shows an increased chance of above-normal temperatures across the majority of the United States except the Great Lakes. In the High Plains, warmer temperatures are favored across the western half of the region.

Precipitation

The precipitation outlook for the next three months indicates above-normal precipitation in the northeast and the Rockies, while below-normal precipitation is favored for the northwest and southern United States. Above-normal precipitation is favored for western Colorado and Wyoming, while equal chances are present for the rest of the region. 

Drought

The U.S Seasonal Drought Outlook released on June 30th indicates drought will likely improve in western Colorado, while developing in northern South Dakota and across North Dakota.