1. State Climate Office Drought Update
Adnan Akyuz, Ph.D.
NDSU, AES
State Climatologist
Updated 9/13/2018

2. Countywide Precipitation Anomalies and Rankings
August 2018 (42nd Driest)
June-August 2018 (39th Wettest)
Blue/Brown colors indicate wetter/drier than long-term ( ) average.

3. Countywide Temperature Anomalies and Rankings
August 2018 (55th Warmest)
June-August 2018 (21st Warmest)
Blue/Brown colors indicate wetter/drier than long-term ( ) average.

4. 30-Day Precipitation
Total Accumulation
% of Normal
(NDAWN Images)

5. Long Term Precipitation % of Normal
60 Days
90 Days
(NDAWN Images)

6. (% Change from previous week)
Cumulative % area
(% Change from previous week) D2
13%
(+10%) D3 1%
(+1%) D1
43%
(+1%)
None
17%
(-3%) DO
85%
(+5%)

7. State Coverage and Intensity

8. Drought Change
One-week Change
4-week Change

9. Drought Severity and Coverage Index (Statewide)
329
(Aug 8, 2006)
295
(Aug 8, 2017)
141
(+13)
Drought Severity and Coverage Index = ADO + 2AD1 + 3AD2 + 4AD3 + 5AD4 (Akyüz, 2007)
Where: A is a % of the state covered under the corresponding D-severity

10. Accumulated Drought Severity and Coverage Index (Statewide)
10,461
(+141)
9,530
10,645
19,319
9663
2116
1714
*Numbers indicate the area under the DSCI Index Curve
*Akyuz (2017)

11. Soil Moisture and Bare Soil Temperature
Soil Moisture Departure from Normal
5-week Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI)
(40mm = 1.6”)

12. Short-Range Forecast*
Thu 1am, Sep 13 -Thu 1am, Sep 20
Thu 1am, Sep 13 -Thu 1am, Sep 27
*College of DuPage Next Generation Weather Lab (Posted with permission)

13. Medium Range Forecast*
Week 3-4 Precipitation
Week 3-4 Temperature
*Climate Prediction Center

14. *Climate Prediction Center
Long-Range Forecast*
CPC Oct-Dec Precipitation Outlook
CPC Oct-Dec Temperature Outlook
*Climate Prediction Center

15. County-wide Agricultural Impacts for the week
Climate Division
Drought Impact by counties
1: North-West
Ward: Mildly Dry.
2: North-Central
McHenry: Severely Dry. The dry weather continues into the fall, there are areas of the county that have received moisture but it is not enough to recharge water sources. We have shallow wells (40ft) drying up, water sources for cattle disappearing, no forages available to graze, some producers started feeding hay 2 weeks ago. Water sources, feed sources, toxicity (ergot, nitrates), what moisture to chop corn at. Early feeding to prevent further damage to the rangeland, looking into alternative feed sources, looking at different feed and delivery methods to allow them to stretch feed stuffs.
3: North-East
Walsh: The pastures are brown and no grass, Cattlemen are hauling water. There is no grass in most of our pastures and they have gone dormant. We are hauling water in many pastures and we have a possible dead cow from bad water. We have a heavy blue-green algae bloom on Homme Dam and water bodies.
4: West
Mercer: Severely Dry. About 1/3 inch of rain this week, but still really dry in many areas. Pastures are still very slow in recovering. River levels are still low. Burn ban still present. Usually many ranchers and producers don't seem as concern about drought conditions has last year, as far as nitrates in forages, drought stress in crops etc. so far.
5: Central
Kidder: Mildly Dry. Spotty rain, but some areas still dry.
Eddy: Have not received any rain more that in the past couple months. Pastures are brown, water sources drying up. Crops have turned brown and matured close to a month earlier than normal. Yield reports of soybeans are low with seed size very small with test weights on the light side. Hearing yields from 8-25 bushels. Have had 1 report of corn harvest starting with moisture as low a 20% This is something that I usually don't hear about until mid to late October. Trees starting to lose leaves and lawns are brown. Topsoil and subsoil moisture is absent. Producers reporting that no grass left for their livestock to graze. Nothing has regrown on pastures that have not been grazed since early late June - early July. Weeds taking over in pastures. Some producers reporting feeding hay to supplement. Producers reporting water drying up in pastures and have moved cows home because of lack of water. Low yields on crops and lack of fall grazing for livestock. Producers already thinking about next year and lack of moisture in the profile. Fall field work and fertilizer decisions may need to change. Producers concerned with having to feed this early with feed that was intended for winter. Also concerned with lack of water for livestock. Have had producers mention that they don't think that the drought monitor is accurate and that we are drier than they are showing.
6: East-Central
Griggs: Moderately Dry.
7: South-West
Slope: Moderately Dry.
Hettinger. Corn is fired to bottom of ear, leaves are fast drying up, no green left in pasture . What forage that is available is brown, no green at all. Using soybean growth for forage. Alfalfa growth from runoff on highways has caused a large number of deer to feed along-side the road at night creating a traffic hazard.
Billings/Stark: Very spotty severe storms this past Monday rain reports inches of rain. Not a very big area was covered. Corn conditions continue to erode.
8: South-Central
9: South-East
McIntosh: Mildly Dry

16. Agricultural Impacts (Select Photos)
Dry Snake Creek bed that is normally filled with water to drive through to get across (R. Wald, Mc Henry County--NDSU Photo)
“The corn around here is very dry and almost too dry to chop for silage as moisture is needed in the fermentation process. A lot of producers have had little to no kernels on the cobs.” (R. Wald, Mc Henry County--NDSU Photo)