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Drought Conditions in the High Plains Region - Update September 27

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Source/Author: Joseph Brum - High Plains Regional Climate Center 09/27/12

U.S. Drought Monitor-September 25

Image © National Drought Mitigation Center

Year-to-date total precipitation percent of normal for the High Plains Region

Image © High Plains Regional Climate Center

Drought conditions continue to slowly get worse due to the lack of precipitation in the High Plains Region. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, there was again another slight increase in the total area of moderate drought (D1) or worse conditions in the Region. The area of D1 or worse now totals 98.91%, with only a small area in northwestern Wyoming and central North Dakota being in the abnormally dry (D0) category. An area in western North Dakota has degraded to an extreme drought (D3) condition, totaling 4.78% of the state. North Dakota has not had a D3 condition since October 2008. The area of exceptional drought (D4) continues to expand in Nebraska; this condition now totals 73.25% of the state. Also with the expansion of D4 in Nebraska it is pushing its way into Wyoming where the state saw a slight increase in D4 this week versus last week.  The conditions in Colorado and Kansas matched last week’s, with no improvement or decline. To learn more about the U.S. Drought Monitor, please see: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu

The drought conditions in South Dakota continue to worsen. This week 100% of the state is in a D1 or worse condition. South Dakota has not had conditions this bad since the summer of 2006. The area of D4 has also expanded this week in the southeastern portion of the state. The area of D4 now totals 6.72% of the state.

Check out the table below for the drought conditions over the past month for South Dakota. For more on the drought situation in South Dakota check out this site: http://drought.sd.gov/

To view more statistics of the High Plains Region and each state check out the Tabular Statistics here: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DM_highplains.htm

 

                  Drought Condition (Percent Area): South Dakota

 Date

 None

 D0-D4

 D1-D4

 D2-D4

 D3-D4

  D-4
 09/18/2012   
 0.00   
 100.00   
 100.00   
 74.69  
 50.53   
 6.72 
 09/11/2012
  0.00
  100.00
  96.07  68.27  50.61  4.77
 09/04/2012
  0.00  100.00  91.55

 68.04

  50.37  4.77
 08/28/2012
  0.00  100.00  91.45  68.99  49.84  4.77
 08/21/2012
  0.00  100.00  83.30  60.98  26.44  0.00
 08/14/2012
  0.00  100.00  82.78  59.29  17.95  0.00

 

 

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