year2005drought-update-final

Nebraska, surrounding states and the Southwest
(AR, AZ, CO, IA, KS, MO, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, SD, WY)
Year 2005 - Drought Update
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005

Image © Ken Dewey, HPRCC. August 5, 2005: The Interstate 80 bridge across the Platte River.
Four years ago it was just sand but vegetation has moved into the Platte channel.

January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005:
Precipitation Totals (in inches).
RED indicates total is below normal.

Arkansas	Observed	Normal	percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
De Queen	28.05	55.11	51%	-27.06
El Dorado	28.30	54.11	52%	-25.81
Fort Smith	30.72	43.87	70%	-13.15
Jonesboro	35.33	46.18	77%	-10.85
Little Rock Apt.	34.77	50.93	68%	-16.16
N. Little Rock	37.83	49.19	77%	-11.36
Texarkana	27.63	47.38	58%	-19.75

Arizona	Observed	Normal	percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Douglas	12.68	13.76	92%	-1.08
Flagstaff	24.01	22.91	105%	1.10
Phoenix	7.04	8.29	85%	-1.25
Tucson	9.58	12.17	79%	-2.59
Winslow	6.90	8.03	86%	-1.13

Colorado	Observed	Normal	percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Alamosa	7.96	7.25	110%	0.71
Colorado-Springs	11.86	17.40	68%	-5.54
Denver	12.80	15.81	81%	-3.01
Grand-Junction	11.83	8.99	132%	2.84
Pueblo	11.15	12.39	90%	-1.24
Vernal	9.40	8.77	107%	0.63

Iowa	Observed	Normal	percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Des-Moines	28.03	34.72	81%	-6.69
Dubuque	25.48	35.52	72%	-10.04
Mason-City	39.93	34.48	116%	5.45
Ottumwa	24.63	35.90	69%	-11.27
Sioux-City	26.03	25.99	100%	0.04
Waterloo	30.75	33.15	93%	-2.40

Kansas	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Concordia	26.76	28.43	94%	-1.67
Dodge-City	20.54	22.35	92%	-1.81
Goodland	16.08	19.76	81%	-3.68
Topeka	48.63	35.64	136%	12.99
Wichita	36.72	30.38	121%	6.34

Missouri	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Columbia	41.21	40.28	102%	0.93
Joplin	32.65	46.07	71%	-13.42
Kansas-City	44.14	37.98	116%	6.16
Springfield	35.33	44.97	79%	-9.64
St.Joseph	42.75	35.24	121%	7.51
St.Louis	37.85	38.75	98%	-0.90

Nebraska	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Chadron	17.47	16.63	105%	0.84
Grand-Island	28.89	25.89	112%	3.00
Hastings	24.78	27.94	89%	-3.16
Kearney	22.27	25.2	88%	-2.93
Lincoln	24.59	28.37	87%	-3.78
Norfolk	26.17	26.66	98%	-0.49
North-Platte	18.46	19.66	94%	-1.20
Omaha-Epp	23.43	30.22	78%	-6.79
Omaha-Valley	32.74	30.22	108%	2.52
Scottsbluff	19.68	16.33	121%	3.35
Sidney	19.67	18.78	105%	0.89
Valentine	26.25	19.52	134%	6.73

New Mexico	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Albuquerque	10.61	13.34	80%	-2.73

Nevada	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Elko	15.38	9.59	160%	5.79
Ely	13.00	9.97	130%	3.03
Las-Vegas	7.37	4.49	164%	2.88
Reno	9.39	7.48	126%	1.91
Winnemucca	10.13	8.33	122%	1.80

North-Dakota	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Bismarck	19.22	16.84	114%	2.38
Dickinson	21.55	16.35	132%	5.20
Fargo	30.50	21.19	144%	9.31
Grand-Forks	24.64	19.6	126%	5.04
Jamestown	21.23	18.49	115%	2.74
Minot	20.97	18.44	114%	2.53
Williston	13.74	14.16	97%	-0.42

Oklahoma	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Oklahoma City	23.60	35.85	66%	-12.25
Tulsa	28.22	42.42	67%	-14.20

South-Dakota	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Aberdeen	18.69	20.22	92%	-1.53
Huron	25.78	20.90	123%	4.88
Mobridge	15.61	16.94	92%	-1.33
Pierre	14.06	19.88	71%	-5.82
Rapid-City	15.27	19.36	79%	-4.09
Rapid-City-Apt	14.41	16.64	87%	-2.23
Sioux-Falls	31.71	24.69	128%	7.02
Sisseton	28.03	22.08	127%	5.95
Watertown	22.05	21.94	101%	0.11

Utah	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Cedar City	13.89	11.40	122%	2.49
Salt Lake City	16.88	16.50	102%	0.38

Wyoming	Observed	Normal	Percent of normal	Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Casper	11.01	13.03	84%	-2.02
Cheyenne	16.31	15.45	106%	0.86
Lander	12.10	13.42	90%	-1.32
Laramie	10.07	11.37	89%	-1.30
Rawlins	6.43	9.74	66%	-3.31
Riverton	8.12	8.68	94%	-0.56

End of December 2005:

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

7 Year (1999-2005)
Annual Precipitation Totals -

Official National Weather Service Observation Locations in Nebraska
All amounts are in inches

All red numbers indicate a deficit or below normal amount

City	Annual Normal	Year 2005	Year 2004	Year 2003	Year 2002	Year 2001	Year 2000	Year 1999	7-year Total	7-year Normal	7-year Deficit (-) Surplus (+)
Chadron	16.63	17.47	14.22	17.12	7.78	17.94	22.99	20.61	118.13	116.41	+1.72
Grand-Island	25.89	28.89	20.89	18.05	17.14	23.11	20.09	25.29	153.46	181.23	-27.77
Hastings	27.94	24.78	25.71	20.99	17.05	28.84	22.90	27.97	168.24	195.58	-27.34
Kearney	25.20	22.27	18.90	18.17	11.80	26.51	21.56	29.37	148.58	176.40	-27.82
Lincoln	28.37	24.59	23.49	26.09	26.62	31.81	23.18	27.25	183.03	198.59	-15.56
Norfolk	26.66	26.17	27.35	22.06	19.98	27.52	23.54	23.86	170.48	186.62	-16.14
North-Platte	19.66	18.46	20.46	18.26	11.07	23.69	16.32	19.34	127.60	137.62	-10.02
Omaha-Epp	30.22	23.43	33.81	23.27	26.06	28.68	27.11	38.71	201.07	211.54	-10.47
Omaha-Valley	30.22	32.74	30.23	25.31	25.08	29.76	30.20	29.50	202.82	211.54	-8.72
Scottsbluff	16.33	19.68	11.98	10.00	7.58	13.02	14.79	16.82	93.87	114.31	-20.44
Sidney	18.78	19.67	13.70	14.81	12.14	21.59	13.65	18.11	113.67	131.46	-17.79
Valentine	19.52	26.25	17.35	15.81	11.31	25.44	19.48	19.39	135.03	136.64	-1.61

Grand Island and Lincoln have had below normal precipitation during 6 of the last 7 years.
Chadron, is the only NWS observation location that has a surplus after 7 years.

Central Platte River Year 2005 Drought Photos

IMPORTANT LINKS:

Western Regional Climate Center

High Plains Regional Climate Center

National Climatic Data Center

National Drought Mitigation Center

Hoover Dam

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.

Year 2004 Drought Update, Nebraska, Surrounding Region to the Southwest

The 2003 Drought in the Southwestern U.S.

Year 2002 Drought update for Nebraska and surrounding region

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

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

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

UNL
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
High Plains Regional Climate Center