Nebraska, surrounding states and the Southwest
(NE, WY, CO, NV, AZ, NM, KS, MO, IA, SD, ND)
Year 2004 - Drought Update
January 1, 2004 - October 31, 2004

Image © K. Dewey, High Plains Regional Climate Center
August 3, 2004:  The Platte River has no flowing water for the third year in a row,
Looking northeast from the middle of the river bed, just east of Grand Island at the I-80 bridge.
The small amount of water off to the right is not moving and is merely
a small pool of water left over from a recent rainfall.

LINK TO:  Drought Assessment for Nebraska, January 2000 to August 2004

LINK TO:  August 2004 Nebraska Drought Photos

January 1, 2004 through October 31, 2004:
Precipitation Totals (in inches).
RED indicates total is below normal.

Arizona
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Douglas 
8.90
10.70
83%
-1.80
Flagstaff 
15.84
19.28
82%
-3.44
Phoenix 
5.90
6.64
89%
-0.74
Tucson 
6.47
10.50
62%
-4.03
Winslow 
5.57
6.94
80%
-1.37
Colorado
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Alamosa 
5.49
6.44
85%
-0.95
Colorado-Springs
20.24
16.46
123%
3.78
Denver 
14.18
14.20
100%
-0.02
Grand-Junction
7.52
7.76
97%
-0.24
Pueblo 
13.23
11.42
116%
1.81
Vernal 
7.74
7.74
100%
0.00
Iowa
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Des-Moines 
34.54
31.29
110%
3.25
Dubuque 
28.06
31.34
90%
-3.28
Mason-City 
39.32
31.44
125%
7.88
Ottumwa 
32.55
32.16
101%
0.39
Sioux-City 
23.99
23.93
100%
0.06
Waterloo 
32.20
29.94
108%
2.26
Kansas
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Concordia 
23.32
26.12
89%
-2.80
Dodge-City 
21.96
20.57
107%
1.39
Goodland 
19.26
18.54
104%
0.72
Topeka 
37.00
31.91
116%
5.09
Wichita 
34.95
27.21
128%
7.74
Missouri
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Columbia 
39.57
34.34
115%
5.23
Joplin 
40.45
39.05
104%
1.40
Kansas-City 
34.54
34.04
101%
0.50
Springfield 
34.79
37.34
93%
-2.55
St.Joseph 
29.34
31.64
93%
-2.30
St.Louis 
34.75
32.18
108%
2.57
Nebraska
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Chadron 
13.58
15.64
87%
-2.06
Grand-Island 
18.82
23.82
79%
-5.00
Hastings 
23.70
25.75
92%
-2.05
Kearney 
17.64
23.37
75%
-5.73
Lincoln 
20.45
25.93
79%
-5.48
Norfolk 
25.24
24.57
103%
0.67
North-Platte 
19.09
18.50
103%
0.59
Omaha-Epp 
31.45
27.48
114%
3.97
Omaha-Valley 
26.79
27.48
97%
-0.69
Scottsbluff 
10.56
14.97
71%
-4.41
Sidney 
13.23
17.63
75%
-4.40
Valentine 
16.86
18.47
91%
-1.61
New Mexico
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Albuquerque 
10.13
8.36
121%
1.77
Clayton 
20.80
14.27
146%
6.53
Roswell 
13.15
12.22
108%
0.93
Nevada 
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Elko 
9.17
7.61
120%
1.56
Ely 
7.53
8.84
85%
-1.31
Las-Vegas 
3.95
3.78
104%
0.17
Reno 
6.17
5.80
106%
0.37
Winnemucca 
4.87
6.72
72%
-1.85
North-Dakota 
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
     
normal
Surplus (+)
Bismarck 
15.80
15.70
101%
0.10
Dickinson 
12.56
15.45
81%
-2.89
Fargo 
24.97
19.56
128%
5.41
Grand-Forks 
20.34
18.06
113%
2.28
Jamestown 
21.61
17.37
124%
4.24
Minot 
14.31
16.98
84%
-2.67
Williston 
12.49
12.94
97%
-0.45
South-Dakota 
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Aberdeen 
21.21
19.09
111%
2.12
Huron 
29.23
19.62
149%
9.61
Mobridge 
15.43
16.01
96%
-0.58
Pierre 
18.38
18.70
98%
-0.32
Rapid-City 
14.96
18.23
82%
-3.27
Rapid-City-Apt
13.11
15.62
84%
-2.51
Sioux-Falls 
30.00
22.81
132%
7.19
Sisseton 
23.30
20.49
114%
2.81
Watertown 
26.83
20.64
130%
6.19
Wyoming
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Surplus (+)
Casper 
9.26
11.59
80%
-2.33
Cheyenne 
12.67
14.35
88%
-1.68
Lander 
13.30
11.82
113%
1.48
Laramie 
11.62
10.27
113%
1.35
Rawlins 
10.52
8.60
122%
1.92
Riverton 
8.29
7.85
106%
0.44

One Month Ago:

The latest Drought Monitor Map and archived maps can be found at:
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

Nebraska Precipitation since 1999
RED indicates annual total was below normal.
Nebraska
City
Year 2003
Year 2002
Year 2001
Year 2000
Year 1999
Normal
Chadron
17.12
7.78
17.94
22.99
20.61
16.63
Grand-Island
18.05
17.14
23.11
20.09
25.29
25.89
Hastings
20.99
17.05
28.84
22.90
27.97
27.94
Kearney
18.17
11.80
26.51
21.56
29.37
25.20
Lincoln
26.09
26.62
31.81
23.18
27.25
28.37
Norfolk
22.06
19.98
27.52
23.54
23.86
26.66
North-Platte
18.26
11.07
23.69
16.32
19.34
19.66
Omaha-Epp
23.27
26.06
28.68
27.11
38.71
30.22
Omaha-Valley
25.31
25.08
29.76
30.20
29.50
30.22
Scottsbluff
10.00
7.58
13.02
14.79
16.82
16.33
Sidney
14.81
12.14
21.59
13.65
18.11
18.78
Valentine
15.81
11.31
25.44
19.48
19.39
19.52

Drought Related News Reports

Bill Speeds up Plan to Bring Rural Water to Las Vegas
Deeping Drought, Lake Level in Fast Fall Western Drought Retains Tight Grip
High and Dry Six Year Drought Reigns Over the West
Aurora Prepares for Drought Winter Snow Cover Disappears, Park City Drought Continues
NWS/NOAA Hydrologic Center, current Drought Information Las Vegas Gets Reality Shock about Drought
Drought Forces Boat Ramp Extensions at Lake Powell Sierra Snowpack Falls Short of ending Drought
Officials to Take Colorado River Trip Snowmelt Forecast Dismal

IMPORTANT LINKS:

Western Regional Climate Center

High Plains Regional Climate Center

National Climatic Data Center

National Drought Mitigation Center

Hoover Dam

The Drought Monitor Map from 2 months ago:


 

The Drought Monitor Map from 2 months ago:

The Drought Monitor Map from 3 months ago:
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

 


 


Image © K. Dewey, High Plains Regional Climate Center
The Platte River without any water last year (2003).  Looking north from the middle
of the river bed, just east of Grand Island at the I-80 bridge.

CLICK HERE:  Drought photos last year (August 2003) of the Platte River in eastern Nebraska

CLICK HERE:  October 2003 Drought Update Photos
Includes the empty Republican River and Lake McConaughy at an all-time low
 

Related Site:  The 2003 Drought in the Southwestern U.S.

Return to:   The Nebraska Weather and Climate Home Page

Return to:   The Lincoln, NE Weather and Climate Home Page

UNL
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
High Plains Regional Climate Center