This drought early warning update was originally sent via email to the Missouri River Basin and Midwest DEWS email lists.
A two-page status update on drought conditions, including current conditions, impacts, and outlook, in the Midwest and Northern Plains regions for June 21, 2018.
Conditions Favor El Niño this Winter: Significant drought expected to lessen in parts of the Southwest and persist in others.
From October 2017 to September 2018, the Southwestern U.S. experienced below-normal to record-low precipitation.
Long-term precipitation deficits and record-high temperatures have contributed to very low streamflows and reservoir levels.
Conditions favor the development of El Niño this winter, but significant drought is expected to persist in most of Utah and Colorado.
WATER YEAR (OCTOBER 2017-SEPTEMBER 2018)
Extreme Drought Entrenched in the Four Corners. Weak El Niño Expected through Winter and Spring.
- Extreme drought remains entrenched in the Four Corners area of the Southwest.
- Recent above-normal precipitation has resulted in some drought improvement in eastern areas of Colorado and New Mexico.
In 2011, the Missouri River Basin experienced devastating flooding, which caused significant property loss and disrupted thousands of lives. In 2012, the basin experienced extreme drought that impacted water supplies and downstream navigation. Historically, the climate of this region shows a general tendency for both very wet and very dry months in a given year.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin June – August 2020. Dated September 2020.
Summer 2020 was one of the warmest on record for many states in the region, including CO (3rd), NE (9th), ND (10th), SD (11th), and WY (11th). It was also one of the driest summers for CO (7th), IA (14th), NE (16th), and WY (16th).
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin December 2019 – February 2020. Dated March 2020.
Seasonal temperatures for the majority of the Missouri Basin were much above normal. The main exception to this warmth was the mountainous areas of Colorado and Wyoming. Meanwhile, precipitation varied across the region, with the largest departures occurring across eastern parts of the region.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin September – November 2019. Dated December 2019.
Extreme temperature swings were masked by what was, overall, a largely near-normal autumn.The wet pattern continued across the northern tier of the Missouri River Basin. Overall, autumn 2019 was one of the wettest on record for North Dakota (wettest), South Dakota (5th), Iowa (6th), and Montana (11th).
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin June – August 2019. Dated September 2019.
This summer, temperatures were largely near normal; however, minimum temperatures were slightly above normal, while maximum temperatures were below normal. Meanwhile, extremes in precipitation occurred across the region. This summer's wet conditions were a further continuation of a generally wet pattern that has been in place since last year.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin March – May 2019. Dated June 2019.
Average temperatures generally ranged from 2-8°F below normal, with the greatest departures in the upper Basin. Precipitation, on the other hand, was extreme, with spring totals exceeding 150% of normal in many areas.