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June 2008 Climate Summary

June 2008 was a cool month for the majority of the High Plains Region. Large areas experienced temperatures 2-5 °F (1-3 °C) below normal. The exception to below normal temperatures occurred in areas of Southern Kansas and Colorado. Those areas experienced temperatures as much as 3 °F (2 °C) above normal. The largest departures from normal in either direction occurred in West Central South Dakota (5 °F or 3 °C below normal) and South Eastern Colorado (4 °F or 2 °C above normal). ...More

Source/Author: Allan Curtis - High Plains Regional Climate Center 07/07/08

Scientific Assessment Captures Effects of a Changing Climate on Extreme Weather Events in North America

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research today released a scientific assessment that provides the first comprehensive analysis of observed and projected changes in weather and climate extremes in North America and U.S. territories. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change previously evaluated extreme weather and climate events on a global basis in this same context. However, there has not been a specific assessment across North America prior to this report. ...More

Source/Author: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 06/30/08

NOAA: Global Temperature Seventh Warmest for Spring, Eighth Warmest for May

The combined average global land and ocean surface temperatures for spring (March-May) ranked seventh warmest, while May was the eighth warmest since worldwide records began in 1880 according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. ...More

Source/Author: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 06/30/08

May 2008 Climate Summary

May 2008 was a very active month for extreme precipitation amounts on both ends of the spectrum while temperature remained with temperatures at or below Normal (0-6 °F below) for the majority of the High Plains Region. The exception to the Normal or below Normal temperatures occurred in Eastern Colorado and Southwestern Kansas where warmer than Normal temperatures (2-4 °F above) were experienced. The most extreme departures from Normal temperature occurred in Southwestern Kansas (4 °F above) and Eastern North Dakota (8 °F below). ...More

Source/Author: Allan Curtis - High Plains Regional Climate Center 06/23/08

April 2008 Climate Summary

Dryness was present over the wetern two thrids of the High Plains region for the month of April 2008. Areas in the eastern third of the region improved significantly with respect to March. Snow fell in the western Dakotas and in Western Nebraska and in the mountainous states of Wyoming and Colorado while much of the east and southeast portions of the region received mostly rainfall. Several stations in the western part of the region received a tenth of one inch of precipitation or less while stations in southeast Kansas received 5-8 inches of precipitation. The percent of normal map shows that a few parts of the region were above 100% and some areas approached 200% of the normal precipitation for the 30 year period 1971-2000. ...More

Source/Author: Dr. Ken Hubbard, High Plains Regional Cliamte Center 06/23/08

March 2008 Climate Summary

March 2008 was an active month for precipitation and temperature in the High Plains region. Temperatures averaged near-Normal for the region with the exception of warmer than Normal temperature (between 2-4 degrees F above) for NW South Dakota and western North Dakota, and cooler than Normal average temperature for portions of the Colorado and Wyoming Rockies (4-8 degrees F below) and Eastern Nebraska, Eastern South Dakota and Eastern Kansas (2-4 degrees F below). ...More

Source/Author: Christy Carlson, High Plains Regional Climate Center 04/11/08

NOAA: Coolest Winter Since 2001 for U.S., Globe

The average temperature across both the contiguous U.S. and the globe during climatological winter (December 2007-February 2008) was the coolest since 2001, according to scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. In terms of winter precipitation, Pacific storms, bringing heavy precipitation to large parts of the West, produced high snowpack that will provide welcome runoff this spring.

A complete analysis is available online at:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2008/feb/feb08.html ...More

Source/Author: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 03/14/08

February 2008 Climate Summary

Wet conditions in SE Kansas, Colder than Normal in Eastern Plains

Colder than normal temperatures were prevalent in eastern portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and northeastern Kansas. Average February Temperature departures from the 1971-2000 Normals ranged from -4F (-2C) to -10F (-6C) for much of this area. These depressions were aided by snow cover which present for much of February throughout this entire region, with the deepest snow depths in portions of eastern North Dakota and northeast Kansas.
The Nebraska Panhandle and areas west of Kearney, western Kansas and the plains of Colorado and Wyoming were very close to normal temperatures, with some areas between 2F (1C) and 4F (2.2C) above Normal on the lee side of the Rockies in Colorado and Wyoming. ...More

Source/Author: Christy Carlson - High Plains Regional Climate Center 03/11/08

January 2008 High Plains Climate Summary

With North Dakota, Nebraska and South Dakota State Summaries Included

Cold temperatures dominated most of January for Colorado and Wyoming, with beneficial snows in the mountains of central and western Colorado and Wyoming. For Southwest and South Central Colorado the average temperature for January was from 8-10F below the 1971-2000 normal. ...More

Source/Author: Christy Carlson - High Plains Regional Climate Center 02/11/08

2007 10th Warmest for U.S., 5th Warmest Worldwide

The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. in 2007 is officially the tenth warmest on record, according to data from scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The agency also determined the global surface temperature last year was the fifth warmest on record. ...More

Source/Author: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration 01/18/08