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

Link to January 1-October 31, 2004 Update


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 August 31, 2004:
Precipitation Totals (in inches).
RED indicates total is below normal.

as of 
Sept. 1, 2004
Arizona
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Douglas
6.49
8.34
78%
-1.85
Flagstaff
10.57
15.17
70%
-4.60
Phoenix
4.97
5.10
97%
-0.13
Tucson
5.23
7.81
67%
-2.58
Winslow
3.04
5.02
61%
-1.98
 
 
 
 
 
Colorado
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Alamosa
4.15
4.88
85%
-0.73
Colorado-Springs
19.56
14.37
136%
5.19
Denver
11.33
12.07
94%
-0.74
Grand-Junction
4.44
5.85
76%
-1.41
Pueblo
12.78
9.94
129%
2.84
Vernal
2.86
5.58
51%
-2.72
 
 
 
 
 
Iowa
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Des-Moines
31.17
25.52
122%
5.65
Dubuque
23.02
25.28
91%
-2.26
Mason-City
33.83
25.66
132%
8.17
Ottumwa
28.85
25.34
114%
3.51
Sioux-City
20.00
19.52
102%
0.48
Waterloo
29.99
24.5
122%
5.49
 
 
 
 
 
Kansas
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Concordia
20.68
21.78
95%
-1.10
Dodge-City
17.51
17.42
101%
0.09
Goodland
13.95
16.37
85%
-2.42
Topeka
31.34
25.21
124%
6.13
Wichita
30.99
21.8
142%
9.19
 
 
 
 
 
Missouri
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)
Columbia
33.70
27.74
121%
5.96
Joplin
34.47
29.89
115%
4.58
Kansas-City
27.98
26.07
107%
1.91
Springfield
28.38
29.04
98%
-0.66
St.Joseph
25.97
24.45
106%
1.52
St.Louis
31.32
26.46
118%
4.86
 
 
 
 
 
Nebraska
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Chadron
6.79
13.15
52%
-6.36
Grand-Island
14.07
19.88
71%
-5.81
Hastings
17.67
21.34
83%
-3.67
Kearney
12.70
19.80
64%
-7.10
Lincoln
16.77
21.07
80%
-4.30
Norfolk
21.37
20.60
104%
0.77
North-Platte
16.14
15.94
101%
0.20
Omaha-Epp
29.53
22.10
134%
7.43
Omaha-Valley
21.93
22.10
99%
-0.17
Scottsbluff
6.50
12.74
51%
-6.24
Sidney
10.34
15.78
66%
-5.44
Valentine
12.90
15.64
82%
-2.74
 
 
 
 
 
New Mexico
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Albuquerque
8.03
6.29
128%
1.74
 
 
 
 
 
Nevada
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Elko
5.92
6.22
95%
-0.30
Ely
4.83
6.90
70%
-2.07
Las-Vegas
3.18
3.23
98%
-0.05
Reno
4.58
4.93
93%
-0.35
Winnemucca
3.09
5.53
56%
-2.44
 
 
 
 
 
North-Dakota
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Bismarck
12.62
12.81
99%
-0.19
Dickinson
8.64
12.51
69%
-3.87
Fargo
16.72
15.41
109%
1.31
Grand-Forks
13.9
14.4
97%
-0.50
Jamestown
16.07
14.26
113%
1.81
Minot
11.81
13.95
85%
-2.14
Williston
10.48
10.72
98%
-0.24
 
 
 
 
 
South-Dakota
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Aberdeen
15.93
15.65
102%
0.28
Huron
19.90
16.23
123%
3.67
Mobridge
9.98
13.13
76%
-3.15
Pierre
12.32
15.51
79%
-3.19
Rapid-City
11.73
15.58
75%
-3.85
Rapid-City-Apt
9.79
13.15
74%
-3.36
Sioux-Falls
24.02
18.30
131%
5.72
Sisseton
14.20
16.72
85%
-2.52
Watertown
15.96
16.69
96%
-0.73
 
 
 
 
 
Wyoming
Year 2004
Normal
percent of
normal
Deficit (-)/
Surplus (+)
Casper
6.59
9.47
70%
-2.88
Cheyenne
8.98
12.17
74%
-3.19
Lander
11.00
9.31
118%
1.69
Laramie
7.97
8.48
94%
-0.51
Rawlins
7.46
6.92
108%
0.54
Riverton
6.53
6.16
106%
0.37

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 a month ago:

The Drought Monitor Map from 2 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