Contact: Doug Kluck (doug.kluck@noaa.gov) Central Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook| March 2013 

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

Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)

12/1/2012 - 2/28/2013

U.S. Drought Monitor

02/26/2013

Departure from Normal Temperature (° F)

12/1/2012 - 2/28/2013

Regional - Climate Overview for December 2012 - February 2013

Central Region

March 2013

National - Significant Events for December 2012 - February 2013

Temperature and Precipitation Anomalies Drought in Central Region

Highlights for the 

Central Region

A normal to wet winter in the eastern half of the region 

substantially improved moisture conditions. Michigan, 

Wisconsin, and Illinois had winter precipitation totals 

ranking among the 10 wettest.

Two major winter storms in late February produced a 

swath of snow from Texas through Missouri and into the 

southern Great Lakes. Many locations picked up more 

than 6 inches from both systems, and totals reached 

20 – 24 inches in northern Missouri.

The storms brought Wichita, Kansas a new February 

snowfall record. Wichita’s February total was 21.2 

inches, which exceeded the old record of 20.5 inches 

set back in 1913. Not only was this the snowiest 

February in Wichita, it was also the snowiest month 

ever recorded. 

Water levels on the Great Lakes were up slightly at 

the end of February, but still remain just above record 

lows. Lakes Michigan and Huron reached record lows in 

January.

Most of the Plains remains in severe to 

exceptional drought going into the spring. 

While February storms did bring significant 

precipitation to Kansas, western Nebraska, and 

the eastern Dakotas the precipitation provided 

only short-term relief. Drought conditions 

in the High Plains Region changed little this 

winter, although some areas improved. At the 

end of the winter 91 percent of the region was 

still in moderate to exceptional drought. This 

is down only slightly since the beginning of 

winter, when 93 percent was in that range of 

designations.

Precipitation this winter was highly 

variable both in time and space. December 

precipitation was the most spatially variable. 

Precipitation in January was abundant in the 

eastern half of the region contrasting with 

increasing dryness in the west. Seasonal 

snowfall was well above normal in Kansas, 

northern Missouri, northern North Dakota, 

northern Minnesota, and the Ohio Valley. 

There were significant snowfall deficits in 

Colorado, Wyoming, eastern Nebraska, 

northwestern Iowa and southern Minnesota, 

central Illinois, northern Indiana, and much of 

Kentucky.

Cool west, warm east was the general 

temperature departure pattern through the 

winter, a pattern established during December 

and continuing through January. DecemberJanuary temperatures were 1°F to 3°F above 

normal from eastern Kansas to Iowa to 

Wisconsin and eastward. Temperatures were 

near normal in the Plains and below normal 

west of the Divide. February temperatures 

were near to below normal across the entire 

region except for the western half of the 

Dakotas. There, temperatures were as much as 

3°F to 5°F above normal.
Contact: Doug Kluck (doug.kluck@noaa.gov) Central Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook| March 2013 

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

:#regionalclimateoutlooks

Regional Outlook - for Spring 2013

Regional Impacts for December 2012 - February 2013

Central Region Partners

Agriculture

Soils continue to be very dry in the Plains 

states into western Iowa and southern 

Minnesota. Tile lines being installed in 

these areas are reaching dry ground. 

Winter wheat condition is very poor in 

Kansas and South Dakota. Limited snow 

cover in South Dakota has probably 

allowed some freeze damage. The price 

of hay is expected to remain at very high 

levels through the year due to shortages 

caused by the widespread drought and a 

long production cycle. It may take several 

months to over a year for the market to 

see any relief.

Energy

In February 10 percent of the nation’s 

ethanol plants were idle because the price of corn was above the price of ethanol. Corn prices were driven higher by the drought across the 

central United States. Almost 40 percent of all U.S. corn is used to make the gasoline additive. 

Transportation, Recreation

Water levels on the mid and lower Mississippi River are back to normal after flirting with record lows at the beginning of January. Barges are 

reported to be back to carrying full loads. Water levels in the upper Mississippi River remained low. Two years of lower than normal snowpack 

in the Rockies and resulting low runoff have had impacts on water supplies, navigation, and recreation.

The latest Drought 

Outlook indicates that 

some improvement in 

drought conditions is 

expected in the eastern and northern portions 

of the region. A one-category improvement 

is expected from South Dakota through 

Minnesota and south into northwestern 

Missouri and eastward into the northeast 

half of Wisconsin. While some improvement 

is expected in Nebraska and Kansas, drought 

conditions in the western half of the region 

will persist into the summer without persistent 

and significant rainfall.

Central Region Spring Flood Risk 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 (NIDIS)

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 Marcch 7 – May 31, 2013

Released March 7, 2013

The 2013 Spring Flood Risk indicates that a moderate 

to major flood risk exists for the Red River in 

Minnesota and North Dakota. There is a 50% chance 

of Devils Lake and Stump Lake in North Dakota rising 

approximately 2 feet due to due to above normal 

topsoil wetness and above normal snowpack. The 

immediate impact of a 1.5 to 2.5 foot rise is the loss 

in ground recovered over the past two years from a 

decrease in lake levels. A potential for exceeding minor 

and moderate river flood levels exists in the Upper 

Mississippi River basin, including southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and northern Missouri. 

The potential for exceeding minor river flood levels exists in the middle Mississippi, the smaller 

tributary streams in the lower Missouri basin, and the Ohio River basin. This would include 

portions of Kansas, Missouri, eastern Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Some Improvement Expected, but 

Drought Will Persist