Pleasant springtime conditions were interrupted last week with the arrival of a slow moving weather front which brought sharply cooler air temperatures to the tri-state region.
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KIMBALL – Pleasant springtime conditions were interrupted last week with the arrival of a slow moving weather front which brought sharply cooler air temperatures to the tri-state region. In addition to early-spring temperatures, the weather system delivered widespread soaking rains and snowfall.
At Kimball, precipitation from the weather front totaled about 2 3/4 inches, most of which came as rain. A total of about three inches of snow also fell. Temperatures were quite cool with overnight lows falling to very near the freezing mark.
Across the region last week’s precipitation kept farmers out of the field and cool temperatures slowed crop development.
The moisture was very beneficial for pastures
and rangeland.
Regional Forecast and Conditions
As of Tuesday, May 16, conditions at Kimball were cool and damp and expected to remain so through Sunday.
Daytime highs Saturday-Sunday are expected to peak in the upper 50’s to low 60’s with overnight lows falling into the low 40’s. A 50 percent chance of showers possible on those days. Warming air temperatures and sunshine are expected to set in on Memorial Day and, through Wednesday, daytime highs should reach into the 70’s with overnight lows dipping into the 40’s. Clear skies and sunshine should prevail during this period with the usual springtime chance of scattered, localized thunderstorms.
Air temperatures cooled once again across the region last week. At Kimball the May 16-22 daytime high averaged 57.57 degrees, about 12 degrees cooler than the previous week. The weekly high temperature was 71 degrees on May 16. Overnight lows averaged 37.57 degrees, about 13 degrees cooler than the previous week. The weekly low temperature was 34 degrees on May 18-19-20. The weekly mean temperature was 47.57 degrees, about 11 degrees cooler than the previous week, and about 8 degrees cooler than the May average of 55.0 degrees. The long term average high and low temperatures at Kimball for May are 69.3 and 40.7 degrees, respectively.
All 13 Panhandle stations reported precipitation over the May 16-22 period, ranging from 3.56 inches at Gordon to 0.66 inches at Sidney Municipal. Panhandle precipitation averaged 2.25 inches for the week compared to 0.71 inches last week.
Soil temperatures warmed last week, ranging from 6.3 to 7.2 degrees cooler than the previous week across the Panhandle. May 16-22 soil temperatures (this week/last week/change): Alliance 53.8/60.9 (-7.1) degrees; Gordon 54.0/60.3 (-6.3) degrees; Mitchell 55.9/62.4 (-6.5) degrees; Scottsbluff 54.5/61.1 (-6.6); and Sidney 55.2/62.4 (-7.2) degrees.
Winds near Kimball averaged south-southeasterly and often breezy over the May 16-22 period. Gusts for the week averaged 31.00 mph. High gust for the week was 36 mph on May 18 and 22.
May 26 Weather Almanac
Here’s an overview of May 26 temperature and precipitation highs, lows, and averages over the preceding 123 years at Kimball. Data is taken from the High Plains Regional Climate Center (www.hprcc.unl.edu), where you can easily find and track data for your own particular location.
May 26, 2016: Daily high temperature 71 degrees, overnight low 39 degrees, average temperature 55.0 degrees. Precipitation 0.02 inches, snowfall zero inches, snow depth
zero inches.
The warmest May 26 on record was 90 degrees in 1969. The coolest May 26 high temperature was 43 degrees in 1950. The coldest May 26 overnight low was 26 degrees in 1893. The warmest May 26 overnight low was 57 degrees in 1929. Over the years since 1893 the high temperature on May 26 has averaged 71 degrees, the overnight low 44 degrees, the daily average 57.4 degrees, precipitation has averaged 0.11 inches, snowfall zero inches, snow depth zero inches.
The highest May 26 precipitation recorded over the last 123 years was 1.50 inches in 1955.
Snow has fallen on May 26 at Kimball one time over the last 123 years. The greatest May 26 snowfall was a trace in 1950. Measurable May 26 snow depth was reported in zero of the last 123 years. May 26 snow depth was zero inches throughout the period of record.
U.S. Drought Monitor
May 16
The High Plains: Wet weather continued across southern sections of the High Plains region and moved into northern areas as the monitoring period ended. Rain that fell after 7 a.m. CDT on May 16 will be reflected on next week’s map. In north-central Colorado, coverage of moderate drought (D1) was greatly reduced by recent and ongoing wetness. Farther north, there was some modest expansion of dryness (D0), mainly in North Dakota, although conditions were highly favorable for fieldwork. During the week ending May 14, 45 percent of the corn acreage was planted in South Dakota, along with 35 percent in North Dakota. However, South Dakota also led the northern U.S. in topsoil moisture rated very short to short (40 percent on May 14), as well as rangeland and pastures rated very poor to poor (20 percent).
National Summary: An active weather pattern continued to result in widespread showers, with some of the heaviest rain falling across the Plains, Midwest, and mid-South. Another area of significant precipitation stretched across the middle and northern Atlantic States, while showers also dotted the Northwest. In contrast, mostly dry weather prevailed from California to the lower Rio Grande Valley, as well as large sections of the lower Southeast. Drought changes from last week were a mix of improvement and deterioration. Specifically, warm, dry weather and short-term rainfall deficits in Texas led to significant increases in the coverage of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate to severe drought (D1 to D2). Also, hot, mostly dry conditions led to further expansion of moderate to extreme drought (D1 to D3) across southern Georgia and Florida’s peninsula. Elsewhere, patchy improvements in the drought situation were noted in a few areas, including parts of the Southeast.