Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

Missouri River Basin

June 2018

National – Significant Events for March - May 2018

Highlights for the Basin

While the headlining story this season 

was the back-to-back temperature 

extremes of April and May, both flooding 

and drought impacted the region.

The April 13-15 blizzard brought recordbreaking snowfall and impacted travel 

in many states, as portions of I-29, I-70, 

I-80, and I-90 were closed.

In late April and early May, high winds 

combined with dry, freshly tilled soils 

reduced visibilities, causing numerous 

accidents on I-80 in eastern Nebraska.

Torrential rains and subsequent flooding 

destroyed a dam at Lake Hiddenwood 

Recreation Area in north-central South 

Dakota in mid-May.

The severe weather season got off to a 

slow start, with the first tornadoes of 

the season occurring in May.

The average U.S. temperature during May was 65.4°F, 5.2°F above average, and the 

warmest on record. The spring average U.S. temperature was 52.4°F, 1.5°F above 

average. The May U.S. precipitation was 2.97 inches, 0.06 inch above average. The 

spring average U.S. precipitation was 7.91 inches, 0.03 inch below average. 

For more information, please see: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc.

Regional – Climate Overview for March - May 2018

Temperature Anomalies

Departure from Normal Temperature (°F) 

April (left) and May (right) 2018

Generally, average temperatures were below normal to the north and above 

normal to the south this spring. But, these averages masked the extremes that 

occurred, especially during April and May. In April, the majority of the region 

was well below normal and many states ranked in the top 5 coldest on record: 

KS, MO, NE, SD (2nd); ND (5th). Meanwhile, May was a complete reversal, with 

many of the same states ranking in the top 5 warmest on record: MO (1st); CO, 

KS (2nd); NE (4th); SD (5th). For some locations, this meant a 20°F+ difference 

in average temperature between the two months, which is rare. In addition to 

monthly extremes, numerous daily records were set and some locations set 

new records for the most number of days at or above 90°F in the month of May.

Precipitation Anomalies

Percent of Normal Precipitation 

Spring 2018

Precipitation varied across the region 

this season. Generally, southern and 

eastern areas of the region were on 

the dry side, but areas of southern 

Montana, northern and eastern 

Wyoming, and the panhandle of 

Nebraska were quite wet. With 

this contrast in precipitation, some 

locations ranked in the top 10 wettest 

springs on record, while others ranked 

in the top 10 driest.

MO River Basin Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook | June 2018 

https://www.drought.gov/drought/resources/reports

Contact: Natalie Umphlett (numphlett2@unl.edu)
Regional – Impacts for March - May 2018

Water Resources

Missouri Basin snowpack peaked in April and rapidly declined in May, causing high streamflows in upper portions of the 

Basin. In Montana, more than 50 stream gauges set new monthly flow records for May and flooding was so widespread 

that Governor Steve Bullock declared a statewide flooding emergency. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

above-average releases are expected from all system projects this summer to slowly evacuate stored flood waters.

Meanwhile, drought conditions intensified across southern portions of Colorado and Kansas, with impacts to agriculture, 

water resources, and recreation and tourism. Several fires in these drought-afflicted areas broke out this spring, forcing 

evacuations, destroying homes, and killing livestock. Drought also intensified in northern portions of the Dakotas.

Above: Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls, SD, photo courtesy Natalie Umphlett, HPRCC (left); Tornado near Laramie, WY, photo courtesy 

Gavin Rush (middle); Heat-stressed wheat in Manhattan, KS, photo courtesy Romulo Lollato, K-State Research and Extension (right).

Regional – Outlook for July - September 2018

Temperature Precipitation

Outlooks for July - September 2018

EC: Equal chances of above, near, or below normal

A: Above normal, B: Below normal

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, La Niña conditions weakened 

this spring, with a transition to ENSO-neutral conditions in May. ENSOneutral conditions are favored through the summer, but with increasing 

chances for the development of El Niño conditions this fall and winter, an 

El Niño Watch has been issued. Over the next three months, above-normal 

temperatures are favored for the majority of the region, with the highest 

chances in western areas of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. Meanwhile, 

below-normal precipitation is favored in northwestern Montana and southern 

Missouri. Drought conditions could improve in areas of the Four Corners 

region, where above-normal precipitation is favored.

MO River Basin Partners

Contact: Natalie Umphlett (numphlett2@unl.edu)

#regionalclimateoutlooks

MO River Basin Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook | June 2018 

https://www.drought.gov/drought/resources/reports

High Plains Regional Climate Center 

www.hprcc.unl.edu

National Drought Mitigation Center 

http://drought.unl.edu/

National Integrated Drought Information 

System 

https://www.drought.gov/

NOAA NCEI 

www.ncdc.noaa.gov

NOAA NWS - Central Region 

www.crh.noaa.gov/crh

NOAA NWS Climate Prediction Center

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

NOAA NWS Missouri Basin River Forecast 

Center 

www.crh.noaa.gov/mbrfc

American Association of State Climatologists 

https://www.stateclimate.org/

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

www.usace.army.mil

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 

https://www.usbr.gov/

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

www.nrcs.usda.gov

USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub 

www.climatehubs.oce.usda.gov

Western Governors’ Association

http://westgov.org

Agriculture

The cold start to spring not only meant a slow green-up, but also delays in spring planting as soils were slow to warm. 

The extreme warmth in May, however, allowed producers to make significant planting progress, especially for corn 

and soybeans. Not all impacts were positive, as winter wheat quality declined due to high heat and dry conditions. 

Additionally, some cattle deaths were reported in South Dakota where unseasonably hot and humid conditions occurred.