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

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

National - Significant Events for June–August 2013

Regional - Climate Overview for June–August 2013

Central Region

September 2013

Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

US Drought Monitor

September 19, 2013

Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)

June 1–August 31, 2013

Departure from Normal Temperature (°F)

June 1–August 31, 2013

Temperature and Precipitation Anomalies Drought in Central Region

Highlights for the Central Region

Above-normal rainfall across much of the region in June 

eliminated drought from the eastern half of the region. June 

rainfall brought Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin a record 

wet first half of the year. The rain resulted in major to nearrecord flooding in northern Indiana.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, increasingly drier 

conditions in July and August resulted in abnormally dry 

conditions expanding back as far east as Indiana, and to 

the return of moderate to severe drought to the Dakotas, 

Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. Iowa experienced its 10th 

driest July on record and Wisconsin its 12th driest. August 

rainfall ranked in the top ten lowest in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, 

and Minnesota. 

Monsoonal rains in Colorado resulted in flooding in some 

areas, particularly those that were severely burned by last 

season’s wildfires.

A heat wave resulted in temperatures 10°F to 12°F above 

normal throughout the northern Plains and upper Midwest 

during the last week of August into early September. 

This year’s summer weather pattern resulted in a significant reduction in severe weather and a 

record low number of tornadoes through the end of August. 

Rainfall through June erased drought in the 

region east of the Mississippi River, but a dry 

weather pattern during July and August in 

the northeastern half of the region brought 

the rapid redevelopment of drought across 

northern Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota, as 

well as abnormally dry conditions to Illinois, 

Indiana, and Michigan. July-August rainfall was 

less than 50 percent of normal from central 

Illinois northwestward into North Dakota, and 

less than 25 percent of normal in northern 

Missouri and central Iowa.

Much of the region received below-average 

summer precipitation, but a band from southcentral Kansas through southern Missouri 

and eastward through Kentucky received 

from 125 to 200 percent of average summer 

precipitation. Rainfall was less than 50 percent 

of normal in the northern half of Missouri 

into central Iowa, eastern North Dakota and 

northwestern Minnesota. Rainfall was less 

than 25 percent of normal in central Wyoming. 

Temperatures for June through August 

were generally 1°F to 2°F below normal 

across the eastern two-thirds of the region. 

The largest departures of -2°F to -4°F were 

found from southern Missouri into western 

Kentucky. Summer temperature departures 

in Wyoming and Colorado were 1°F to more 

than 3°F above normal for the summer. 

Warmer than normal temperatures also 

occurred in western Kansas and Nebraska 

and in northeastern North Dakota through 

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

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

Regional - for June–August 2012

Regional - Outlook for Fall 2013

#regionalclimateoutlooks

Central Region Partners

Agriculture

There was unusually late development of corn following late planting and slow development because 

of the cool summer. Soybean crops were also compromised due to the lack of rain in August, which 

affected pod fill. A heat wave the last week of August further stressed corn and soybeans, and the 

return of drought conditions to parts of the corn and soybean belt in July and August is expected to 

reduce yields for both crops. 

Heavy summer rainfall in Kentucky could result in a 25 percent loss of the burley tobacco crop. 

Cool weather during the summer slowed recovery of pasture from drought, despite adequate rainfall in 

some areas. 

Transportation

In early June, a second wave of spring flooding hit the Midwest, forcing the Coast Guard to close the 

Port of St. Louis on the Mississippi River over a five-mile stretch due to high water and increased debris 

in the river. Seven locks on the river were closed for about a week, halting barge transportation on the 

waterway. This came only five months after record low water levels threatened to halt barge traffic on 

the river.

Wildfire

The Black Forest Fire located northeast of Colorado Springs, CO started on June 11th due to unknown 

causes. The fire spread quickly due to high winds, and thousands of people had to evacuate from 

the area. Ultimately, this fire became the most destructive in Colorado history, in terms of structures 

burned, with over 500 homes destroyed. Just last year, the Waldo Canyon Fire had been deemed the 

most destructive with 346 homes destroyed.

Extreme flash flooding and mudslides occurred near Manitou Springs, CO on August 9th as a result of heavy rain falling over terrain that was 

previously burned out in the Waldo Canyon Fire. The flooding caused two deaths, destroyed 40 vehicles, and destroyed or damaged several buildings.

Climate Science Program, Iowa State University

climate.engineering.iastate.edu

High Plains Regional Climate Center

www.hprcc.unl.edu 

Midwestern Regional Climate Center

mrcc.isws.illinois.edu

Missouri Basin River Forecast Center

www.crh.noaa.gov/mbrfc

National Climatic Data Center

www.ncdc.noaa.gov

National Drought Mitigation Center

drought.unl.edu

National Integrated Drought Information System

www.drought.gov

National Weather Service Central Region

www.crh.noaa.gov/crh

North Central River Forecast Center

www.crh.noaa.gov/ncrfc

NWS Climate Prediction Center

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

South Dakota State University and SDSU Extension

www.igrow.org 

State Climatologists

www.stateclimate.org

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

September 19–December 31, 2013

Released September 19, 2013

Wet and cool spring weather delayed planting while cool summer weather slowed maturity of the crops 

in the region. The crop is several weeks behind normal in some areas, and the occurrence of an early freeze 

will concern producers. With equal chances of near-normal, above-normal, and below-normal precipitation 

across the region, the next season will be an important indicator for continued drought. The latest Drought 

Outlook shows likely persistence of drought across the heart of the corn and soybean belt through the fall. 

This could favor field harvest later in the season. However, without an El Niño or La Niña oscillation, there is 

some uncertainty for this season’s temperature and precipitation forecasts. The latest October outlook from 

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center shows increased likelihood of warmer than average temperatures across 

the entire region. 

Nowhere was there more rainfall disparity than 

in Missouri, where only 120 miles separated 

areas of extreme drought from areas with 

excessive rain. Contrast pasture in northern 

Missouri in late August (top) with flash flooding 

at Roaring River State Park in southwestern 

Missouri, early August (bottom).