KIMBALL – A warming trend finally settled in across much of the tri-state region over the last week of April, raising the mean daily temperature to just below that of the 125-year average. Warm air temperatures and sunshine, while accompanied more often than not by stiff southerly breezes, warmed soils and spurred springtime greenup as cool season grasses entered their rapid growth phases. Early-season forbs responded with abundant vegetative growth as well and added dots of springtime color to pastures and rangeland as they began to flower. Favorable conditions also pushed winter wheat, itself a cool-season winter annual grass, into its rapid growth phase.

While the last seven days of April were generally dry across the region, snow and rain that came earlier in the month provided adequate soil moisture for spring greenup. At Kimball, 15.5 inches of snow and a few fairly light rain showers combined to generate just over 2.25 inches of liquid moisture, about four-tenths more than the long-term average for the month.

Spring tillage was becoming evident across much of the region as April expired. Not a lot of planting has been done near Kimball, but that should change by the weekend as fields dry from the latest round of spring rainfall.

Regional Forecast and Conditions

As of Tuesday morning (May 1), the temperature at sunrise was 42 degrees. Sky conditions were overcast with fog. A light west wind was sustained at 6 mph. The barometer was steady at 29.83 inches of mercury (in/Hg). The day was expected to cool and overcast with a 60 percent chance of rain throughout the day and into the evening, and winds were expected to remain westerly and light. Air temperatures were expected to peak at 57 degrees before falling to an overnight low of 43 degrees. Wednesday and Thursday were expected to be cool and wet as well.

Today’s weather (Friday, May 4) is expected to warming and sunny under clear skies with a high of 71 degrees and an overnight low of 39 degrees. Saturday and Sunday are expected to remain clear, sunny, and warm, with daytime highs in the low 70’s degrees and overnight lows falling into the low 40’s. No heavy winds are forecast, but they could develop. As of April 24, no precipitation was forecast for the Friday-Sunday period, though the usual springtime possibility of afternoon and evening thunderstorms is present.

Monday through Wednesday are forecast to be partly cloudy and seasonably warm, with daytime air temperatures ranging in the 70’s and overnight lows in the 40’s. As of April 17, there was no precipitation forecast for the Monday-Wednesday period, though forecasters predicted a slight chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms.

Air temperatures warmed nicely across the region last week. At Kimball the April 24-30 daytime high averaged 65.28 degrees, about 9 degrees warmer than the previous week. The weekly high temperature was 81 degrees on April 29. Overnight lows warmed also, averaging 34.42 degrees, about 4.3 degrees warmer than the previous week. The weekly low temperature was 24 degrees on April 25. The weekly mean temperature was 49.85 degrees, about 6 degrees warmer than the previous week, and 4.6 degrees warmer than the April average of 45.2 degrees. The mean daily air temperature for May is 55.0. The long-term average high and low temperatures at Kimball for April are 59.6 and 30.9, respectively, and the long-term high and low temperatures at Kimball for May are 69.3 and 40.7, respectively.

Eleven of 13 selected Panhandle stations reported rain while none reported snow over the April 24-30 period. Rainfall totals ranged from 0.46 inches at Big Springs to 0.01 inches at Sidney Municipal. Agate and Dalton reported zero precipitation. Across the Panhandle snowfall averaged zero inches and rainfall averaged 0.12 inches. Last week’s averages were 0.3 inches and 0.33 inches respectively.

Soil temperatures warmed across the Panhandle over the April 24-30 period: (this week/last week/change): Alliance 50.1/42.2 (+7.9) degrees; Gordon 49.2/37.7 (+11.5) degrees; Mitchell 50.0/44.0 (+6.0) degrees; Scottsbluff 51.1/45.2 (+5.9); and Sidney 51.0/40.0
(+11.0) degrees.

Winds near Kimball averaged southeasterly and occasionally windy over the April 24-30 period. Gusts for the week averaged 27.0 mph. High gust for the week was 38 mph on April 28.

April weather almanac

Average 7 a.m. conditions: temperature 33.13 degrees, winds south-southeasterly at 5.3 mph, barometer 30.00 inches of mercury (in/Hg). 

Average daily high temperature 57.5 degrees (125-year average 59.6). Average daily low temperature 28.86 degrees (125YA 30.9). Daily average temperature 43.18 degrees (125YA 45.2). Total liquid precipitation 2.347 inches (125YA 1.84). Year to date (YTD) precipitation 5.75 inches (125YA 3.71). Total snowfall 15.5 inches (125YA 6.0). YTD snow 41.95 inches (125YA 25.3).

Departures: Daily High, -2.1 degrees; Daily Low, -2.04 degrees; Daily Average, -2.02 degrees; Total Liquid Precipitation, +0.507 inches; YTD precipitation +2.04 inches. Total Snow, +9.5 inches. YTD snow +16.65 inches.

U.S. Drought Monitor

National Summary: The southern High Plains’ second wildfire outbreak in less than a week preceded the arrival of storm system that provided much-needed rainfall on April 20-21. Rainfall in the Plains’ drought-affected areas generally totaled around an inch or less.

The fires peaked in intensity on April 17, when southwesterly winds fanned flames amid soaring temperatures, but continued into the following day when winds shifted to a northwesterly direction. Oklahoma’s two largest April wildfires—the Rhea Fire (in Dewey County) and the 34 Complex (in Woodward County)—were nearly fully contained by April 24 after destroying more than seven dozen structures and charring approximately 350,000 acres of brush and grass.

Meanwhile, drought continued to intensify in parts of the Southwest, where dry, windy weather prevailed. In contrast, another round of heavy rain struck portions of the South and East, as the slow-moving storm system that had produced beneficial rainfall on the southern Plains eventually drifted eastward.

High Plains: Following the previous week’s significant drought reductions across the northern Plains, there were no further changes during the drought-monitoring period that ended on the morning of
April 24.

Short-term precipitation deficits have been observed during the last month near the Canadian border in North Dakota and Minnesota, and this area will be closely monitored. Through April 24, month-to-date precipitation totaled 0.15 inch (21 percent of normal) in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and 0.28 inch (25 percent) in International Falls, Minnesota.

Farther south, high winds and dramatic temperature fluctuations preceded the April 20-21 rainfall event. For example, Dodge City, Kansas, notched consecutive daily-record lows (19 and 23 degrees, respectively) on April 15-16, followed by a daily-record high of 94 degrees on April 17. Dodge City also clocked a wind gust to 66 mph that day, shortly after the passage of a strong cold front ended the short-lived hot spell. By April 19, daily-record lows were observed in Kansas locations such as Russell (26 degrees) and Wichita (31 degrees). Some additional precipitation arrived on April 24, as the monitoring period ended. In most cases, the precipitation was highly beneficial but did not provide significant or sustained drought relief. On April 22, topsoil moisture was rated 64 percent very short to short in Kansas and 53 percent very short to short in Colorado. For both states, that represented an 8-point improvement (from 72 and 61 percent very short to short, respectively). Winter wheat condition actually declined during the week ending April 22, with the portion of the crop rated very poor to poor increasing from 24 to 29 percent in Colorado and from 46 to 49 percent in Kansas.

West: Mostly dry weather prevailed during the drought-monitoring period that ended on the morning of April 24, except for some snow in the central Rockies.

In eastern Oregon, moderate drought (D1) was expanded where recent dryness has reduced topsoil moisture and caused a deterioration in rangeland and pasture conditions. Statewide, Oregon’s topsoil moisture was rated 26 percent very short to short on April 22, up from 18 percent the previous week. On the same date, USDA rated 28 percent of Oregon’s rangeland and pastures in very poor to poor condition.

Farther south, ongoing and intensifying drought continued to threaten water supplies in portions of the Four Corners States. Exceptional drought (D4) was expanded in the Four Corners region, as two smaller D4 areas were merged. Extreme drought (D3) was expanded in parts of eastern Utah and southern Colorado. On April 22 in New Mexico, topsoil moisture was 90 percent very short to short, while subsoil moisture was 92 percent very short to short. New Mexico’s winter wheat was rated 71 percent very poor to poor, while rangeland and pastures were 58 percent very poor to poor. Arizona’s rangeland and pastures were in even worse shape-79 percent very poor to poor on April 22, compared to the statewide 5-year average of 34 percent. In the hardest-hit drought areas, Southwestern snowpack remained abysmal-or had already melted-leaving little hope for spring and summer runoff. Meanwhile, statewide reservoir storage on April 1 stood at 72 percent of average for the date in Arizona and 70 percent in New Mexico. Arizona’s Verde River system contained just 44 percent of its average April 1 storage, down sharply from 133 percent at the same time a year ago.

For more information on the U.S. Drought Monitor visit: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu 

U.S. Conditions and Weather Report

The second storm in less than a week delivered much needed rain across parts of the southern Plains. The Plains’ rain, which was mostly light, nonetheless helped to reduce the wildfire threat and provided limited drought relief for rangeland, pastures, and winter grains—and improved topsoil moisture for spring-sown crops.

Meanwhile, both storms produced rain across the South and East, although the first system—larger and slower moving—resulted in higher totals and more widespread precipitation. The Southern and Eastern rainfall slowed or curtailed fieldwork, especially in areas where weekly totals reached 2 to 4 inches or more. Some fieldwork delays also persisted in the Ohio Valley, where showers lingered through mid-week.

In contrast, mostly dry weather accompanied a general warming trend across the northern Plains and upper Midwest, following some early-week precipitation. As a result, previously delayed planting activities for crops such as corn, spring wheat, and sugarbeets finally began in earnest, as field conditions and soil temperatures dictated.

Elsewhere, a surge of warmth across the western U.S. promoted fieldwork and crop development, although extremely dry conditions persisted in the Southwest. Weekly temperatures averaged more than 10 degrees above normal in parts of the Southwest, but were as much as 5 degrees below normal from the central and southern Plains into the lower Mississippi Valley.  

USDA Weekly Weather and Crop Reports

Colorado

Fieldwork and spring planting progressed quickly around moisture events this past week. Midweek moisture was mostly confined to eastern districts, while the west and south remained dry. Hot and dry temperatures finished out the week statewide.

Reporters in northeastern counties noted precipitation helped provide short-term relief and sustained condition of winter wheat. The longer-term outlook for non-irrigated crops and rangeland remained a concern without additional moisture. A reporter noted crop producers were preparing to irrigate soon due to lacking topsoil moisture, and that livestock producers were considering or already culling animals at a higher rate than normal.

In east central counties, recent moisture continued to help winter wheat condition, although reported blowing winds were cause for concern going forward if more moisture isn’t received soon.

In southwestern counties, reporters noted conditions worsened last week with rangeland grass showing minimal growth and drought-induced dormancy. It was noted that Archuleta and La Plata counties received some moisture that helped conditions a little.

In the San Luis Valley, reporters noted potato planting started in earnest, with small grains planting, calving, and lambing nearing completion. Measurable precipitation continued to be minimal, and high winds were an issue for emerging barley. Hay stocks were reported to be very low.

In southeastern counties, dry conditions continued, although some counties benefited from midweek moisture. Corn planting was noted to be just starting last week in these counties.

As of April 27, snowpack in Colorado was 64 percent measured as percent of median snowfall. The Southwest and San Luis Valley were 21 and 20 percent, respectively.

Stored feed supplies were rated 3 percent very short, 15 percent short, 81 percent adequate, and 1 percent
surplus.

Sheep death loss was 53 percent average and 47 percent light. Cattle death loss was 79 percent average and 21 percent light.

Nebraska

For the week ending April 29, 2018, there were 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 4 percent very short, 22 short, 73 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 28 short, 68 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Corn planted was 17 percent, behind 32 last year and 24 for the five-year average.

Soybeans planted was 6 percent, near 7 last year and
 4 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 30 fair, 50 good, and 13 excellent.

Oats planted was 63 percent, well behind 89 last year and 87 average. Emerged was 30 percent, well behind 54 last year and 57 average.

Wyoming

Wyoming experienced above normal temperatures for the week. Twenty-six of the 34 reporting stations reported above average temperatures for the week with the high temperature of 84 degrees recorded at Buffalo-Johnson and a low of 12 degrees at Yellowstone.

Below normal moisture was reported at 30 of the 34 reporting stations with six stations reporting no precipitation. Torrington reported the most moisture with 0.61 inches.

A reporter from Northwestern Wyoming indicated that late spring storms have slowed planting and crops are behind.

A reporter from North Central Wyoming stated that recent precipitation has helped green up the rangeland.

A reporter from Western Wyoming reported it had been very dry until a storm hit late in the week.

A reporter from South Central Western Wyoming stated that it has been windy and dry. They also indicated that most producers are still feeding as there is very little
pasture yet.

A reporter from Southeastern Wyoming noted that snowpack in the mountains is about gone and irrigation storage is low. Another reporter from Southeastern Wyoming stated that they had wildly fluctuating temperatures but farmers were able to get field work done.

Hay and roughage supplies for Wyoming were rated 14 percent very short, 25 percent short, 51 percent adequate, and 10 percent
surplus.

Irrigation water supply across Wyoming was rated 2 percent poor, 1 percent fair, 91 percent good, and 6 percent excellent.

Stock water supplies across Wyoming were rated 1 percent very short, 13 percent short, 85 percent adequate, and 1 percent
surplus.