Regional Breakdown

The High Plains in July was ravaged by extreme heat, with the consequences being widespread. Precipitation was fairly typical of the summertime months, with scattered and isolated pockets of above-normal amounts. Agriculture also did not catch a break this year, suffering yet another setback from the exceptional warmth.

Two significant heatwaves impacted the region this month, leading to some areas to record their warmest July on record. The first was in the middle of the month and impacted the northern half of the region, with Wyoming among the hardest hit. Towards the end of the month, another spread across the region with heat index values surpassing 120 degrees F (48.9 degrees C) in some areas. This was arguably the most impactful one, leading to a significant number of cattle deaths in Nebraska and South Dakota. With minimal wind to provide relief, early estimates have between 15,000 and 20,000 head of cattle perishing. This is extremely alarming, as herd numbers were already being reduced in Nebraska due to the wildfires and ongoing drought in the state.

At the end of the month, crop conditions were in decent shape in every state except Colorado. The percentage of corn rated poor to very poor was below 20 percent in most states; however, it was above 40 percent in Colorado. It was a similar story for soybeans, but the worst-performing crop within the region was surprisingly sorghum. Typically known as a fairly drought-resistant crop, 54 percent were rated poor to very poor in Colorado and 45 percent were rated as such in South Dakota. Within the region, conditions take a nosedive when it comes to pasture and soil moisture conditions. Over 65 percent of pastures are rated poor to very poor in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. For topsoil, Kansas is in the best shape with only 44 percent rated short to very short. On the other hand, Colorado and Wyoming are both above 85 percent. Subsoil conditions are equally poor, with up to 89 percent rated short to very short in Wyoming.

Temperature and Precipitation Overview

Above: Departure from 1991-2020 normal temperature (left) and percent of normal precipitation (right) for July 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

It was another typical summertime, with some scattered areas of above-normal precipitation. For the most part, however, there were numerous places below an inch (2.54 mm) of rain this month. The highest amounts this month were found in Kansas and South Dakota, with over 10 inches (25.4 cm) reported.

Wyoming was a bit of a mixed bag this month, with the western half of the state observing above-to well-above-normal amounts, while others were below 0.25 inches (6.35 mm). Owl Creek, a Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) station at nearly 9,000 feet (2743 m), recorded among the highest amounts throughout the state with 4.70 inches (11.94 cm). This would be the wettest July for the station, beating the previous record in 1990. Nearby Younts Peak reported similar amounts, with 4.00 inches (10.16 cm) at 8,000 feet (2438 m). Not far to the east, Casper recorded its 4th driest July after reporting only 0.13 inches (3.3 mm). This comes on the heels of a dry June, with only 0.68 inches (1.73 cm) these past two months to rank as the fifth driest June-July. Looking at the same timeframe, several other long-term stations rank in the top ten driest. Not far from Casper, Boysen Dam tied for fourth with a meager 0.48 inches (1.22 cm) while Kaycee ranked seventh with 0.99 inches (2.52 cm). In the southwestern corner of the state, Rock Springs ranked sixth driest with 0.36 inches (9.1 mm) for June and July.

Colorado remained on the drier side, particularly the northwestern corner of the state. Grand Junction observed only 0.07 inches (1.78 mm), which ranked as 11th driest. Rifle and Aspen ranked as fifth driest, with 0.27 and 0.74 inches (6.86 and 18.8 mm) this month, respectively. Meeker ranked fourth, while Hayden tied for third with a meager 0.18 inches (4.57 mm). Similar to Wyoming, the combined amounts from June and July paint a pretty alarming picture. Along the Front Range, Colorado Springs only observed 2.15 inches (5.46 cm) to rank eighth driest. Not far away within the Pike-San Isabel National Forest, Cheesman was even lower, with 1.41 inches (3.58 cm) of rain to be third driest. Further north, Fort Collins only reported 1.04 inches (2.64 cm) to place just outside the top ten driest. As you move further west, it rapidly dries out further. Aspen and Hayden were both the driest June-July on record, while Rifle and Meeker placed fourth. Rounding it out, Craig was fifth, and Grand Junction tied for seventh. While monsoon season would provide some relief, much of the state is in desperate need of consistent moisture.

To the east, Kansas was predominantly dry outside of the northeastern corner of the state. The Hiawatha area was drenched, with several stations reporting anywhere from 9.30 to 11.34 inches (23.62 and 28.80 cm). Major locations in the area, including the Kansas City metro, Lawrence, Manhattan, and Topeka, all recorded over 6 inches (15.24 cm) of rain this month, helping keep the area drought-free. Surprisingly, the south-central portion of the state was the driest this month. Wichita recorded its eighth driest July, with only 0.32 inches (8.13 mm) of rain and a sharp contrast to its average of close to 4 inches (10.16 cm). To the west, Greensburg ranked fifth driest with only 0.57 inches (14.48 mm), and to the north, Kanopolis Lake came in at third with 0.35 inches (8.89 mm)

Elsewhere in the region, there were scattered pockets on both ends of the extreme. Within Nebraska, Lincoln reported 6.78 inches (17.22 cm) of rain to rank as the tenth wettest, while out west, Hershey was fourth driest with 0.90 inches (2.29 cm). Moving up a state to the north, northeastern South Dakota was exceptionally wet. The stations within Sisseton received up to 8.71 inches (22.12 cm) of rain, while the surrounding area had reports of just over 10 inches (25.4 cm). Nearby Aberdeen had its eighth wettest July with 6.23 inches (15.82 cm) of rain falling. Within North Dakota, Mayville and Max ranked third and fourth driest, respectively, while Grand Forks ranked eighth driest with only 0.75 inches (1.91 cm) this month.

Regional Precipitation

Above: Total precipitation in inches (left) and departure from normal precipitation in inches (right) for July 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

The two heatwaves contributed to a record warm month for parts of the northern and western High Plains. Average highs were well above 90 degrees F (32.2 degrees C) in these areas, over 10 degrees F (5.6 degrees C) higher than normal. For the rest of the region, it was warm but not record-breaking.

In Wyoming, the historically warm temperatures this year continued into July. Boysen Dam (near Shoshoni) recorded the warmest month on record for the state, with an average temperature of 81.3 degrees F (27.4 degrees C). To the east near the South Dakota border, Redbird was not far off with an average temperature of 81.1 degrees F (27.3 degrees C). Others recording their warmest July with an average temperature above 70 degrees F (21.1 degrees C) included Laramie, Lander, Rock Springs, and Worland. The other major locations in the state, such as Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette, and Sheridan, were in the top three. When it comes to average highs, Worland led the way with an average of 98.3 degrees F (36.8 degrees C). Not only was this the record for them for the warmest average highs of any month, but this also tied for third for any month within the state. Casper and Rock Springs also recorded their warmest average highs for July, while Cheyenne, Lander, and Sheridan were within the top five.

Just to the south in Colorado, the story was the same. Most locations on the western side of the Rockies were record warm or tied for it. Grand Junction tied its record, with an average temperature of 84.1 degrees F (28.9 degrees C). Other locations included Hayden, Montrose, and Steamboat Springs. Dozens of SNOTEL stations in the upper elevations also ranked as warmest, highlighting that the heat was not limited to just lower elevations. East of the Rockies, Fort Collins recorded its warmest month on record with an average temperature of 77.5 degrees F (25.3 degrees C). Denver recorded its second warmest month on record, falling just short of the all-time record set in July of 2012. Elsewhere, Colorado Springs and Pueblo were in the top ten warmest. For the average highs this month, nearly every major location was in the top five warmest. With another month of well above normal temperatures, much of the state is still on pace to record its warmest year on record.

Moving up to the Dakotas, temperatures were warm but not quite record-breaking. In western South Dakota, the Black Hills area including Lead, Mount Rushmore, and Rapid City ranked second warmest. Other locations in the state within the top five warmest included Eureka, Lemmon, Milesville, and Pollock. Across the border in North Dakota, the major locations such as Bismarck, Fargo, and Grand Forks ranked as third warmest. For Bismarck, nine days were above 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C) this month, which is the second most for a single month. The only other month was in July 1936 with 12 days.

Drought Conditions

The heat and spotty precipitation were less than ideal for drought conditions, with over 85 percent of the High Plains dealing with some form of drought conditions. South Dakota was the most impacted, with up to three classes of degradation in the state. Overall, the percentage of the region in D0 to D4 (abnormally dry to exceptional drought) increased by over 8 percent.

After experiencing some recovery in the back half of June, conditions progressively deteriorated in South Dakota. Moderate drought (D1) expanded just over 27 percent, with 73 percent of the state now engulfed. Areas to the north of Pierre experienced three classes of degradation this month alone, going from abnormally dry to extreme drought (D3). Despite D3 encroaching in the southwestern and southeastern corners, there are no areas within D4.

Having dealt with minimal drought conditions since last summer, the relentless heat began to take its toll on North Dakota. D0 expanded close to 46 percent, with 78 percent of the state now affected and the highest levels in nearly two years. D1 also increased nearly 20 percent, particularly along the western and eastern borders. Soil moisture is in the 10th percentile for portions of the southwestern corner of the state, creating some concern for the coming months.

After drought conditions peaked in April for Colorado, the state looked to be slowly recovering these past few months. July was a fairly significant step backwards, with conditions intensifying across the central portions. At the end of the month, nearly 51 percent of the state was in D3, an increase of 11 percent this month. D4 also expanded, with the large area over Eagle and Aspen now snaking south towards Creede. The two other patches of D4, one southwest of Pueblo and the other near La Junta, also slightly increased. 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 develop in Kansas and the Dakotas.

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 October. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), fire potential will be elevated in the western portions of the region through September.  

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 central portions. In the High Plains, warmer temperatures are favored across Colorado and Wyoming.

Precipitation

The precipitation outlook for the next three months indicates above-normal precipitation in the western half, indicating increased confidence in monsoon season. Above-normal precipitation is favored for Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, and western Kansas.

Drought

The U.S Seasonal Drought Outlook released on July 31st indicates drought will likely improve in Colorado and Wyoming, while developing in Kansas and the Dakotas.