Midwest/Great Plains Climate- Drought Outlook

Midwest/Great Plains Cl

17 Decem

Jeff Andresen, St
Michigan Sta
andresen@
517-43

limate-Drought Outlook

mber 2015

tate Climatologist
ate University
@msu.edu
32-4756

December golf at Odana Hills Golf Course, Madison,
WI. Photo courtesy of Gordon Severson, WKOW
Madison, WI.

General In

∗ Providing climate services to th

∗ Collaboration Activity Between

∗ State Climatologists
∗ Doug Kluck & John Eise (NOAA
∗ American Association of State C
∗ Midwest and High Plains Regio
∗ National Drought Mitigation Ce

∗ Next Regular Climate/Drought O

∗ January 21, 2016 (1 PM CST)

∗ Access to Future Climate Webin
∗ www.drought.gov/drought/con

drought-webinars
∗ Access to Past Climate Webinar
∗ mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/multimedia
∗ www.hprcc.unl.edu/webinars.ph
∗ Open for questions at the end

nformation

he Central Region

n:

A)
Climatologists
onal Climate Centers
enter/USDA

Outlook Webinar
nars and Related Information
ntent/regional-programs/regional-
rs
a/webinars.jsp
hp

Age

∗ Current/Recent Past Conditions

∗ Impacts

∗ General
∗ Agricultural

∗ Outlooks

∗ Questions

enda

Current/Recent

Past Conditions

Mean Uppe
Novemb

The mean pattern
was characterized
by a strong single
jet stream across
the northern Pacific
and a split flow
pattern
downstream across
North America,
resulting in:

1) Above normal http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/
temperatures
across central,
eastern NA

2) An active storm
track and heavy
precip. across
the central USA

er Air Flow
ber 2015

/temp-and-precip/us-maps/

Late Fall/Early Win
15 OCT – 17

The active
subtropical jet
stream has led to
the passage of a
series of upper air
troughs across the
USA and to a very
active storm track
through central
sections of the
country.

nter Storm Tracks
7 DEC 2015

N. Hemisphere 850
00Z 14 D

Arctic air is
confined to the
polar region, NE
Asia, and the
extreme NW
Atlantic.

http://weather.unisys.com/

0 mb Temperatures
DEC 2015

November Temp

The pattern closely
reflects the upper
air pattern
described earlier,
western troughing
and eastern
ridging.
Much above normal
temperatures were
observed across
most of the central
and eastern half of
country .

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/

perature Recap

/temp-and-precip/us-maps/

December Temper
1-15 DE

mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/c

rature Departures
EC 2015

cliwatch/watch.htm#curMonths

http://water.weather.gov/precip/index.php

Most recent 30 and
90-day

precipitation

November Prec

With the major
storm track
through central
sections of the
country,
precipitation totals
were much above
normal.
Much below
normal totals were
observed across
the Northeast.

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/

cipitation Recap

/temp-and-precip/us-maps/

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov

90 day
temperature and
precipitation ranks

v/temp-and-precip/us-maps/

US Drough

ht Monitor

Palmer Drought

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analys

t Severity Index

sis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/palmer.gif

Impa

MHSAA Div. 7 State Semi-Fi
Fenton, MI, 21 November 20
Hester, Bay City Times.

acts

inal Football Playoff game,
015. Photo courtesy of Nicole

General

∗ Abnormal Warmth Region

∗ Extended season for some
golf)

∗ Reduced heating needs
∗ Reduced snowfall remova

sections
∗ Late start to winter recrea

snowmobiling)

∗ Abnormal wetness in cent

∗ High streamflows

Impacts

nwide –

e recreational activities (e.g.

al costs in eastern and southern
ational season (skiing,

tral sections –

November Sn

http://www.cpc.ncep.noa

nowfall Totals

aa.gov/products/CDB/

Seasonal Sno

http://mrcc.isws.illino

owfall Totals

ois.edu/cliwatch/





Impa

Great

acts

Lakes

Great Lakes W

•

Water Levels

Still above long term normals

Great Lakes

s Ice Cover

• No ice cover currently due to
abnormally high air and water
temperatures

• Extended shipping season

Impa

Regional S

acts

Streamflow

7-Day Average

Wednesday, 18 Dec. 2015
General conditions much above normal

central to below normal east
http://waterwatch.usgs.g

e Streamflow

gov/index.php?id=pa07d

Agricultura

∗ Mild, dry fall generally favo
fieldwork activities.

∗ Recent rain and snow have
progress, but have begun
soil moisture profiles. Soils
relatively dry.

∗ Mild temperatures have le
growth of many perennial

∗ Soil frost has been limited
the region.

∗ Conditions were favorable
and establishment of wint

al Impacts

ored fall harvest and other

e slowed fieldwork
the seasonal recharge of
s in eastern sections remain

ed to extended late season
l and fall planted crops.
to far northern sections of

e for planting, germination,
ter wheat crop.