Contact: Doug Kluck (doug.kluck@noaa.gov)

Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

Central Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook|June 2013 

www.drought.gov/portal/server.pt/community/reports

Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)

March 1–May 31, 2013

U.S. Drought Monitor

June 18, 2013

Departure from Normal Temperature (° F)

March 1–May 31, 2013

Regional - Climate Overview for March 2013–May 2013

Central Region

June 2013

National - Significant Events for March 2013–May 2013

Temperature and Precipitation Anomalies Drought in Central Region

Highlights for the Central Region

A snowstorm from March 4 to March 7 dropped 4 to more 

than 10 inches of snow from the central and northern Plains 

to the Ohio Valley and eastward. This contributed to the 

10th largest monthly snow cover extent for the contiguous 

United States.

Spring 2013 was the 11th coldest since 1895 for the Central 

Region. April was the coldest on record in North Dakota with 

an average temperature of 31.0°F, 9.9°F below normal. April 

was the second coldest on record for South Dakota and third 

coldest for Minnesota.

Spring 2013 was the fifth wettest since 1895 for the region. 

Iowa and Michigan experienced their wettest April on 

record. Illinois had the second wettest April, Wisconsin the 

third wettest, and Indiana the fifth wettest. 

Winter weather persisted into early May. From May 1 to 

May 3, snow fell from Colorado to upper Michigan. One-day 

totals reached 15 inches, and totals for the system ranged 

up to 17 inches from north central Iowa to the southwest 

shore of Lake Superior.

A windstorm on the eastern plains of Colorado in 

mid-April affected 100,000 acres and left behind sand 

6 to 8 inches deep.

Moderate to extreme drought conditions 

continue over much of the western half 

of the region. The worst conditions are in 

southeastern Colorado and southwestern 

Kansas where exceptional drought has been 

persistent throughout the spring.

Frequent precipitation during the spring 

erased drought conditions over the eastern 

half of the region. Precipitation was near to 

much above normal from the northern Plains 

to the Ohio Valley. Dry conditions persisted 

from western Kansas and Nebraska west 

through most of Colorado and Wyoming. 

March was drier than normal across most 

of the region except for the northern half of 

North Dakota and most of Minnesota south 

through Missouri. April–May precipitation was 

normal to 200 percent of normal except in the 

southwestern third of the region.

Spring temperatures across the region 

ranged from near normal in the far western 

and eastern portions of the region to 10°F 

below normal in north-central North Dakota. 

Temperatures in March and April were below 

normal across the region, with departures 

as much as 15°F in North Dakota. May 

temperatures were near normal in the central 

and northern Plains, colder than normal 

in the central Midwest, and warmer than 

normal from eastern Illinois through Indiana 

and Michigan. 
Contact: Doug Kluck (doug.kluck@noaa.gov)

#regionalclimateoutlooks

Central Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook|June 2013 

www.drought.gov/portal/server.pt/community/reports

Regional - Outlook for Summer 2013

Regional Impacts for March 2013–May 2013

Central Region Partners

Agriculture

Frequent, heavy rain and cool 

soil temperatures delayed corn 

planting in much of the region this 

spring. At the end of April, planting 

was behind by nearly 50 percent 

in Illinois and Indiana. However, 

by the end of May, corn planting 

was near the five-year average in 

most states due to more favorable 

weather. Soybean planting was 

20 to 30 percent behind average 

except in Indiana and Michigan.

At the end of May, 45 to 60 percent 

of the winter wheat in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota was in poor to very 

poor condition due to lingering drought and subsequent cold weather. 

Transportation, Recreation

Just months after record low flows threatened navigation on the Mississippi River, 

heavy rain caused major flooding in April and again in late May from the Quad Cities 

south to the confluence of the Ohio River. Rising water threatened to close the river to 

barge traffic along some stretches. 

Frequent rain, snow, and freezing temperatures wreaked havoc on spring sports 

schedules in the region. Inclement weather resulted in the postponement or 

cancellation of 56 baseball games in the Midwest League through June 12. The record 

is 59 games in 2011.

While much of the region saw some relief 

from drought southern Colorado and 

southwest Kansas remain very dry. Snowpack 

deficits during the early spring were most 

evident in the southwest portion of Colorado 

where high elevation heavy fuels could pose 

a greater risk for fire activity this year. A 

small area of south central and southwestern 

Colorado is likely to have above normal 

significant wildland fire potential until the 

onset of the monsoon in July.

Missouri River Basin

Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts as 

of May 1, 2013

December 2012

May 2013

Monthly Average Streamflow

Midwestern Regional Climate Center

mrcc.isws.illinois.edu

High Plains Regional Climate Center

www.hprcc.unl.edu

National Drought Mitigation Center

drought.unl.edu

National Integrated Drought Information 

System

www.drought.gov

State Climatologists

www.stateclimate.org

National Weather Service Central Region

www.crh.noaa.gov/crh

North Central River Forecast Center

www.crh.noaa.gov/ncrfc

Missouri Basin River Forecast Center

www.crh.noaa.gov/mbrfc

National Climatic Data Center

www.ncdc.noaa.gov

NWS Climate Prediction Center

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

Climate Science Program, Iowa State 

University

climate.engineering.iastate.edu

WaterSMART Clearinghouse, U.S. Dept. 

of Interior

www.doi.gov/watersmart/html/index.php

Western Governors’ Association

westgov.org

U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook

Drought Tendency During the Valid Period

Valid for June 6–August 31, 2013

Released June 6, 2013

Fire Weather

The latest seasonal drought outlook continues to show 

improvement in drought conditions from the Northern 

Plains through the eastern half of the Central Plains, 

but persistent drought in western Wyoming, much 

of Colorado, and western Kansas through the end of 

August. The streamflow forecast for the western portion of the Missouri River basin through 

the summer indicates below average streamflows across the southern half of Wyoming and in 

northern Colorado. Streamflows on the Arkansas River in Colorado are expected to be from 35 

to 70 percent of the long-term average through September. With the beginning of the summer 

dry season and attendant high evapotranspiration rates , and an outlook for warm and dry 

weather for the summer season, dry conditions in the western part of the region are not likely 

to improve and may worsen.