Contact: Natalie Umphlett (numphlett2@unl.edu) Missouri River Basin Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook | March 2018 

 www.drought.gov/drought/content/resources/reports

Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

Missouri River Basin 

March 2018 

National - Significant Events for December 2017 - February 2018

Temperature and Precipitation Anomalies Mountain Snowpack

Regional - Climate Overview for December 2017 - February 2018

Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)

December 1, 2017 - February 28, 2018

Departure from Normal Temperature (°F)

December 1, 2017 - February 28, 2018

Highlights for the Basin

A mix of conditions led to extremes this winter. 

Montana had its 11th wettest winter, while Kansas 

and Colorado had their 10th and 14th driest, 

respectively. Colorado also had its 10th warmest 

winter.

Winter ended on a wet note in both upper and 

lower parts of the Basin. Missouri had its wettest 

February on record, while Montana had its 4th. 

Heavy snows improved drought conditions across 

Montana. Although the snow season is far from 

over, many locations already have high rankings. 

For instance, the 2017-18 snow season ranks as 

the 2nd snowiest for Havre, MT, with 78.3 inches.

Mounting precipitation deficits caused drought to 

expand across southern areas of the region. New 

records were set in Liberal, KS, which received 

no measurable precipitation for 96 days (ending 

1/10/2018), and Wichita, KS, which went 393 days 

without snowfall (ending 1/14/2018).

Chinook winds helped Ft. Belknap, MT have an 

82°F temperature range in just one day, with a 

morning low of -37°F and afternoon high of 45°F 

on February 14.

There was a stark contrast in Rocky Mountain 

snowpack this winter, with northern areas far 

outpacing southern areas. Plains snowpack 

was widespread at the start of spring, but the 

highest amounts were confined to Montana. 

According to the latest National Weather 

Service outlooks, minor flooding is expected 

this spring in upper parts of the Basin due to 

mountain snow runoff. Meanwhile, minor-tomoderate flooding is expected in lower parts 

of the Basin due to thunderstorm activity, 

which is typical for this time of the year.

Like temperatures, precipitation varied across 

the region. Parts of Montana received 200-300 

percent of normal precipitation, which made 

for one of the wettest and snowiest winters 

on record. Meanwhile, it was one of the driest 

winters for parts of Kansas. Much of North 

Dakota, eastern South Dakota, Kansas, and 

southern Colorado consistently missed out on 

precipitation this winter. This caused drought 

to remain in northern areas and expand in 

the south. If dryness continues, winter wheat 

could be impacted as emergence begins.

Temperatures varied widely this winter, with 

seasonal departures ranging from 10°F below 

to 10°F above normal. The overall winter 

pattern was largely influenced by February, 

with persistent cold air intrusions impacting 

the region. This resulted in temperature 

departures up to 25°F below normal in upper 

parts of the Basin and many locations ranked 

in the top 5 coldest Februaries on record. 

December and January temperatures were 

generally within a few degrees of normal, 

except for warmer areas of Colorado and 

Wyoming. 

The average U.S. temperature during February was 35.4°F, 1.6°F above average. The February 

precipitation total was 2.84 inches, 0.71 inch above average, and the sixth wettest on record. The 

winter U.S. average temperature was 34.0°F, 1.7°F above average. The winter precipitation total was 

6.26 inches, 0.53 inch below average.

Please Note: Material provided in this map was compiled from NOAA’s State of the Climate Reports. 

For more information please visit: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc

Missouri Basin Mountain Snowpack

03/01/2018
Regional - Impacts for December 2017 - February 2018

Contact: Natalie Umphlett (numphlett2@unl.edu) Missouri River Basin Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook | March 2018

 www.drought.gov/drought/content/resources/reports

Regional - Outlook for April - June 2018 MO River Basin Partners

:#regionalclimateoutlooks

High Plains Regional Climate Center

www.hprcc.unl.edu

National Drought Mitigation Center

www.drought.unl.edu

National Integrated Drought Information System

www.drought.gov

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Weather Service - Central Region

www.crh.noaa.gov/crh

National Centers for Environmental Information

www.ncdc.noaa.gov

Missouri River Basin Forecast Center

www.crh.noaa.gov/mbrfc

Climate Prediction Center

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

North Central Climate Science Center

http://nccsc.colostate.edu

South Dakota State University Extension

http://igrow.org

American Association of State Climatologists

www.stateclimate.org

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Missouri River Basin 

Water Management Division

www.usace.army.mil

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Regional Climate Hubs

www.usda.gov/oce/climate_change/regional_hubs.htm

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

www.usbr.gov

U.S. Geological Survey, Water Mission Area

www.usgs.gov/water

Western Governors’ Association

www.westgov.org

Above: (Top) Legion Lake Fire in in the Black Hills of South Dakota in December, 

photo courtesy Darren Clabo, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology; (Middle) 

Ice fog in Nebraska in January, photo courtesy Ken Dewey, University of NebraskaLincoln Geography; and (Bottom) Sun pillar on a cold winter day in Lincoln, 

Nebraska, photo courtesy Natalie Umphlett, High Plains Regional Climate Center. 

Enhanced Fire Activity During Winter

Despite being winter, several fires burned this season. In December, 

the Legion Lake Fire burned over 54,000 acres in the Black Hills, 

including portions of Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park. 

According to Darren Clabo, South Dakota State Fire Meteorologist, the 

ongoing drought was likely a key factor in what was ultimately the third 

largest fire in the state’s history. Fires continued to be an issue into 

January, with grass fires reported in South Dakota and Missouri, and a 

fire at a cotton gin yard burned 400 round modules in Kansas.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, portions of the 

region have an above normal risk of significant wildland fire potential 

over the next few months. This includes some southern areas of the 

region through June, and portions of Montana and the Dakotas in April.

Utilities Impacted by Extreme Cold

The end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018 was marked by bitterly cold 

weather for much of the U.S. In early January, wind chill advisories and 

warnings stretched from the Canadian border to the Gulf Coast. These 

extremely low temperatures damaged water mains in locations such as 

Omaha, NE and St. Louis, MO, and placed high demands on the energy 

sector. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, for the 

week ending January 5th, the U.S. withdrew a record amount of natural 

gas from storage, beating the previous record set in January 2014.

Later in the season, a combination of extreme cold and lack of snow 

cover drove down frost depths, which also damaged water mains 

in some locations. For example, water was shut off to the town of 

Webster, SD for a number of days due to damaged water lines, while 

damage was also reported north of Omaha in Washington County.

3-Month Precipitation and 

Temperature Outlooks 

According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction 

Center, La Niña conditions continued this 

winter and early spring. However, conditions 

are expected to weaken, with a transition to 

ENSO-neutral conditions likely later in the 

season.

Over the next three months, below-normal 

temperatures are favored across upper parts 

of the Basin, while above-normal temperatures 

are favored across much of the south. For 

precipitation, below-normal conditions are 

favored in portions of Wyoming, Colorado, and 

Kansas, while above-normal conditions are 

favored for parts of Montana, the Dakotas, and 

Iowa.

Valid for April - June 2018

EC: Equal chances of above, near or below normal

A: Above normal, B: Below normal

Precipitation Temperature

Winter Drought 

Conditions and Outlook

3-Month U.S. Drought Monitor Class Change 

12/05/2017 - 02/27/2018

Although not typical for this time of the year, 

significant changes in drought conditions 

occurred this winter. Two to three category 

improvements were made in portions of 

Montana where heavy snows fell, but drought 

conditions developed and intensified across 

areas of Colorado and Kansas where dry 

conditions prevailed. Drought had been a 

concern in southern and eastern parts of 

Missouri this winter, until a storm system the 

last week of the season improved conditions. 

According to NOAA’s U.S. Seasonal Drought 

Outlook, drought conditions will largely persist 

across southern areas, but could improve or be 

removed in northern parts of the region.