The Northern Plains drought started in the spring and summer of 2017 and sparked widespread wildfires and compromised water resources, leading to the destruction of property, livestock losses, and reduced agricultural production. These impacts were felt in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, by the tribes of the Northern Plains, and in the Canadian Prairies.

This two-pager examines the characteristics of past droughts over the U.S. Northern Great Plains region. NIDIS is partnering with the Physical Sciences Division of the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory to examine the causes, predictability, and historical behavior of droughts over the Northern Plains. Drought behavior in the Northern Plains is understudied relative to other regions of the United States, and this research will help to lay a foundation for understanding drought predictability. 

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin December 2017 – February 2018. Dated March 2018. 

A mix of conditions led to extremes this winter. Montana had its 11th wettest winter, while Kansas and Colorado had their 10th and 14th driest, respectively. Colorado also had its 10th warmest winter. Winter ended on a wet note in both upper and lower parts of the Basin. Missouri had its wettest February on record, while Montana had its 4th.

NIDIS is partnering with the Physical Sciences Division of the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory to examine the causes, predictability, and historical behavior of this and other droughts over the Northern Plains. Drought in the Northern Plains is understudied relative to other regions of the United States, and this study will help to lay a foundation of understanding of what aspects of the region’s droughts are predictable. 

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for December 2017 – February 2018. Dated March 2018. 

Temperatures were well above normal in the Southwest: Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada all had top-10 warmest December-February on record.  Dry conditions dominated the Southwest as well: California, Nevada, and Utah had bottom-10 driest December-February on record.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for September – November 2017. Dated December 2017.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin September – November 2017. Dated December 2017.   

Fall temperatures were above average for the majority of the Basin; however, the season ended quite warm, with many western states ranking in the top 10 warmest Novembers on record. This included Colorado (record warmest) and Wyoming (8th warmest). Precipitation, on the other hand, varied widely throughout the fall. This resulted in no top 10 rankings for wettest or driest fall.