Platte River near Duncan, Nebraska, Photo Courtesy of USGS

Regional Breakdown

Typical of the plains in the spring, March featured all the seasons in a month. Record warmth, dust storms, blizzards, and severe weather all occurred around the region. Precipitation was limited for some areas, which led to drought conditions intensifying.

An intense low-pressure system tracked across the High Plains in the middle of the month, wreaking havoc across Kansas and Nebraska. On the 18^th, winds rapidly picked up to over 50 mph (81 km/h) leading to a deadly dust storm between Colby and Goodland in western Kansas. In total, 71 vehicles were involved in a collision after the dust created near zero visibility. Unfortunately, a total of 8 fatalities and dozens of injuries were reported with the event being one of the deadliest dust storms in Kansas history. On the very next day, heavy snowfall and winds over 70 mph (113 km/h) pummeled eastern Nebraska. Up to a foot (30.48 cm) of snow fell, while the strong winds created whiteout conditions. Dozens of wrecks were reported before the majority of roads and Interstate 80 were closed, while road clearing crews had to stop due to the dangerous conditions. Nearly 120,000 customers lost power as lines were toppled, with portions of Lincoln powerless for several days. A state of emergency was declared by the governor, with the initial damage estimated to be over 20 million dollars.

Precipitation and Water Resources

Outside of the areas that received snowfall, many places were dry this month. Large portions of the Dakotas recorded less than 0.25 inches (6.35 mm), while some locations were below 0.10 inches (2.54 mm).

Snowfall was exceptionally high in Wyoming, with over five feet (1.52 m) falling in some places. In the northwestern part of the state, an absurd 62 inches (1.58 m) fell near the town of Story to rank in the top 10 highest snowfall totals for March in Wyoming. To the southwest, 58 inches (1,47 m) fell outside of Lander. In Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful reported 43 inches (1.09 m). This heavy snowfall was very beneficial, improving drought conditions in the area.

In Nebraska, the blizzard in the middle of the month brought much needed precipitation to the eastern part of the state. The highest amounts fell in an area between Grand Island and Lincoln, with many locations reporting over 6 inches (15.24 cm) of snow. York and Geneva reported just over 10 inches (25.4 cm), while nearby Seward observed over 8 inches (20.32 cm). Gretna reported 8.5 inches (21.59 cm), while to the north Lyons recorded just over a foot (30.48 cm).

In the midst of all the snowfall, severe weather made a brief appearance in the region. No tornadoes occurred this month, but Kansas and Nebraska both experienced a few rounds of hail and wind. The most impactful storm was on the 31^st when the town of Baxter Springs, Kansas was shredded by strong wind gusts up to 85 mph (137 km/h). Numerous trees were knocked over, while structures were damaged, including roofs being removed and even walls collapsing.

At the end of March, snowpack remained in decent shape for most of the Rockies. Many basins are near or at median as of April 2nd. Southern Colorado and eastern Wyoming are struggling, with several basins reporting below 70 percent of median.

Temperatures

Temperatures were exceptionally warm for the region, with portions of the Dakotas over 10 degrees F (5.6 degrees C) above normal. Reminiscent of 2012, record setting heat impacted the region at the end of the month, with numerous stations setting their warmest March temperature ever.

In the final days of March, unseasonably and record setting warmth spread across the lower portions of the High Plains. In Kansas, both Atwood and Glen Elder Lake tied their warmest March temperature, while Wilson Lake recorded their record high of 90 degrees F (32.2 degrees C) twice. Temperatures were above 80 degrees F (26.7 degrees C) as far north as the panhandle of Nebraska and along the Wyoming border, with several long-term stations observing their warmest three-day stretch in March.

Aided by this early season warmth, several major locations ranked in the top five warmest this month. McCook, Nebraska recorded their third warmest March on record with an average temperature of 47.8 degrees F (8.8 degrees C) but still fell well short of the record set in 2012. Goodland, Kansas and Sioux Falls, South Dakota ranked fourth, while other locations such as Dodge City, Kansas observed their fifth warmest March.

Drought Conditions

While the overall percentage of the region in drought did not change that much this month, there were some improvements to the areas that received snowfall. Overall, the percentage of the region in D0 to D4 (abnormally dry to exceptional drought) increased just over 3 percent this month.

Southern Kansas took a large step backwards, with drought conditions degrading up to three categories. Since the beginning of the year, this area has observed less than 50 percent of their normal precipitation. At the end of the month, nearly 57 percent of Kansas was dealing with moderate drought (D1).

The heavy snowfall in Wyoming led to improved drought conditions, with more improvements likely in the coming weeks. D1 was reduced 11 percent, while extreme drought (D3) was removed in the northwestern part of the state. Despite the improvements, a large portion of the eastern part of the state still remains in D3.

Elsewhere in the region, other improvements and degradation were observed. According to the Climate Prediction Center’s U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook for April drought conditions will likely persist throughout the region.

Station Summaries: By the Number

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