NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER
Temperatures varied widely across the High Plains this week, with parts of the region experiencing conditions up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Cooler-than-normal temperatures were observed in the western and northern portions.
Heavy rainfall blanketed much of the region, particularly from North Dakota to northern Nebraska, where weekly precipitation totals ranged from 400 to 600 percent above normal. These significant rains—between 2 to 8 inches above normal—prompted widespread improvements in drought conditions, including moderate to extreme drought in the Dakotas and Nebraska.
Rainfall also brought relief to parts of northern Wyoming and eastern Kansas. In those areas, precipitation totals were up to 3 inches above normal, leading to improvements in moderate to severe drought and areas of abnormal dryness.
Despite the beneficial moisture, some areas remained dry. Southwest Nebraska and western Wyoming saw expansions of extreme drought (D3), while southern Wyoming and Colorado experienced worsening severe and moderate drought. Abnormal dryness also spread across eastern Colorado.
The shifting conditions highlight the variability of the High Plains climate and the challenges of managing drought across such a large and diverse region.
Here are the rainfall totals for selected locations in the area:
• Hutchinson - .94"
• Lyons - .06"
• Stafford - .09"
• Pratt - .39"
• Kingman - .67"
• McPherson - .80"
• Newton - 1.16"
Rainfall totals are for the period ending at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map data courtesy of NDMC.