Author: Heleena

  • April 2022 Climate Summary

    April 2022 Climate Summary

    Kansas Winter Wheat Field, Photo Courtesy of Gannon Rush Drought in the Southern Plains and Blizzards in the North April was the ‘tale of two cities’ in the High Plains. Grand Forks, North Dakota was among the wettest and coldest on record, while Colorado Springs, Colorado was among the warmest and driest on record. The…

  • April Top 10 Monthly Rankings

    April Top 10 Monthly Rankings

    Warmest Temperature / Ranking Record / Year Period of Record Colorado Springs, CO  51.6 / 8th warmest  53.8 / 1981 1894 – 2022 Coldest  Temperature / Ranking Record / Year Period of Record Grand Forks, ND  31.8 / 2nd coldest  29.7 / 1950  1893 – 2022 Sisseton, SD  38.6 / 3rd coldest 36.1 / 2018…

  • March 2022 Climate Summary

    March 2022 Climate Summary

    Foothills of Colorado, Photo Courtesy of Gannon Rush Dryness Continued into March The dryness that has gripped parts of the region over the winter continued into March. This led to the intensification and growth of drought across South Dakota, Nebraska, and western Kansas. All three states ended the month with 45 percent of the state…

  • March Top 10 Monthly Rankings

    March Top 10 Monthly Rankings

    Precipitation  Precipitation / Ranking Record / Year Period of Record Williston, ND 0.06 / 5th Driest (tied with 2009+) 0.01 / (2019+) 1894 – 2022 Rapid City, SD 0.25 / 8th Driest (tied with 1949) 0.05 / 2012 1942 – 2022 Snowfall Snowfall / Ranking Record / Year Period of Record Norfolk, NE  0.2 /…

  • Missouri River Basin Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlooks

    Missouri River Basin Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlooks

    Regional- Significant Events for December 2021- February 2022 Highlights for the Basin It was a very dry winter throughout most of the Missouri River Basin, especially in the southern portions. The 8th driest February and 10th driest winter on record for the Basin. Nebraska and Kansas observed their 4th and 5th driest winter, respectively. February…

  • February 2022 Climate Summary

    February 2022 Climate Summary

    Western Kansas Pastures, Photo Courtesy of Gannon Rush Drought Continued to Expand Across the Region February was a very dry month for most of the High Plains, which led to the expansion of drought across the region. Currently, 78 percent of the region is now engulfed in drought conditions. Kansas and Nebraska have been significantly…