Category: Monthly Climate Summary
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February 2024 Climate Summary
Sunset in Western Kansas, Photo Courtesy of Gannon Rush Regional Breakdown February capped off a very typical El Niño pattern for the High Plains, with warmer temperatures and below normal precipitation across the northern portions of the region. These conditions this winter took a toll, with the impacts rearing their head in late February. Snow…
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January 2024 Climate Summary
View of Snowy Range in Wyoming, Photo Courtesy of Gavin Rush Regional Breakdown The run of scalding hot temperatures stretching back to September finally ended this month, and winter arrived with a vengeance. Temperatures dipped below zero, while wind chills plummeted. Several rounds of snow pushed through the southern portions of the region, but the…
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2023 Annual Climate Summary
Rain approaching Glacier National Park in Montana. Photo courtesy of Gannon Rush. Regional Breakdown Climate-wise, 2023 was the opposite of 2022, which was marked by dryness and extreme drought. This year brought ample to plentiful precipitation to much of the region, which greatly improved drought conditions. While the precipitation was beneficial to mitigate drought conditions,…
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December 2023 Climate Summary
Sunrise over Flathead Lake in Montana, Photo Courtesy of Gannon Rush Regional Breakdown December ended in a similar fashion like both October and November. Exceptionally warm temperatures dominated the region, with a cold front pushing through late in the month but unable to prevent record warmth. Temperatures were scalding hot in the Dakotas, with some…
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November 2023 Climate Summary
Snowfall in Western Kansas, Photo Courtesy of Gannon Rush Regional Breakdown In a similar pattern to October, warmer temperatures dominated until a late-month shot of cool air and snow on Thanksgiving weekend led to serious impacts. Outside of the heavy snowfall in some places associated with this system, the region was extremely dry. The Thanksgiving…
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October 2023 Climate Summary
Glacier National Park in Montana, Photo Courtesy of Gannon Rush Regional Breakdown This October wrapped all seasons into a month in the High Plains. Scorching summerlike warmth and severe weather began the month, while the month ended with subzero temperatures and snow. An unusual and impactful severe weather outbreak in Kansas and Nebraska occurred on…