Southern Plains Drought Webinar - May 21, 2018
Below is a summary of the 21 May webinar, led by New Mexico State Climatologist Dave DuBois, on drought conditions, outlook, and impacts in the Southern Plains.
Drought Status
The 15 May U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) introduced D4 “Exceptional Drought” in all Southern Plains states, indicating that the current drought is comparable to the worst 1-2 droughts in the past 100 years.
Meteorological Conditions and Indicators
Slight precipitation over the last three weeks did not compensate for accumulated precipitation deficits over the Water Year (October 2017 to the present). The drought has been exacerbated by high temperatures (8-10 degrees above average in the past 2 weeks), which increases evapotranspiration, leading to plant stress. The Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) depicts high evaporative demand in the western portion of the Southern Plains.
Impacts of the Drought
This winter’s snow drought in the mountains is impacting surface water systems that rely on snowpack, including the Pecos River Basin in New Mexico.
Water supply
There is large variation among the region’s reservoirs and groundwater levels. During the 2011-2012 drought, irrigation use jumped significantly, so the current drought may affect water withdrawals from the Ogallala Aquifer, which has experienced severe water level declines since 1950.
Agriculture
Impacts include extremely poor winter wheat production. Preliminary figures show declines in winter wheat yields in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. Winter wheat abandonment in Oklahoma is 56 %, the highest on record dating to 1909. Many stock tanks are either dry or too brackish for cattle; there are reports of ranchers selling cattle in New Mexico and western Oklahoma.
Regional Drought Outlook
Regional forecasts show continuation of below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures through the next 8 to 14 days. The outlook for June through August shows increased chances for above-normal temperatures, and equal chances for above-, below-, or near-normal precipitation.
Contributors:
State Climatologists of New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas.
NOAA
USDA
SCIPP (Southern Climate Impact Planning Program)
National Drought Mitigation Center
High Plains Regional Climate Center
About the Drought Webinar Series
The Southern Plains webinar series features drought and climate experts and provides the latest information on current conditions, impacts and outlooks. In this May 21 webinar, Dave DuBois (New Mexico State Climatologist) presented information for the Southern Plains.
