1. State Climate Office Drought Update
Adnan Akyuz, Ph.D.
NDSU, AES
State Climatologist
Updated 10/04/2018

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) D1
44%
(--) D3
<1.3%
(--%) D2
15%
(-2)
None
24%
(+8%) DO
76%
(+8)

7. Drought Change
One-week Change
4-week Change

8. Drought Severity and Coverage Index (Statewide)
329
(Aug 8, 2006)
295
(Aug 8, 2017)
136
(-10)
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

9. Accumulated Drought Severity and Coverage Index (Statewide)
10,888
(+136)
9,530
10,645
19,319
9663
2116
1714
*Numbers indicate the area under the DSCI Index Curve
*Akyuz (2017)

10. Soil Moisture and Bare Soil Temperature
Soil Moisture Departure from Normal
NASA-Grace Root Zone Soil Moisture
(20mm = 0.8”)

11. Short-Range Forecast*
Thu 1am, Oct 4 -Thu 1am, Oct 11
Thu 1am, Oct 4-Thu 1am, Oct 18
*College of DuPage Next Generation Weather Lab (Posted with permission)

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

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

14. County-wide Agricultural Impacts for the week
Climate Division
Drought Impact by counties
1: North-West
Ward: Mildly Dry. Small amounts of precipitation with cool temperatures have replenished topsoil moisture and delayed harvest in Ward County. Though topsoil is wet, subsoil is still dry and drought effects are present in range land and low late season crop yields.
2: North-Central
McHenry: Severely Dry. There are several people around the county that have mentioned that we are a long way from normal. A construction group has mentioned that when they dig they see no subsoil moisture from 4 inches from the turf to over 15 feet deep.
3: North-East
4: West
Mercer: Mildly Dry. Things have improved to some degree have received about inch to inch and half of rainfall over the last ten days! Still dry in middle part of the County.
Dunn: Normal. Received Multiple days of rain in the last week. Cooler weather also has allowed the ground to soak it all in. Some producers are calling about grazing regrowth of cover crops and the rains are helping. Frost chances have been high lately.
5: Central
6: East-Central
Cass: Mildly Wet.
Barnes: Moderately Wet.
7: South-West
Slope: Mildly Dry.
Hettinger: Severely Dry. There has been a change since last report. Sept. 20 and 24 Hettinger County received .87 to 1.3 inches of rain. This will help for next year’s crop and should help green up the pastures. It is not a game changer but it sure does help.
Billings/Stark: Mildly Dry. With recent rains the last couple of weeks, overall soil moisture has improved in topsoil and in some places subsoil has improved.
8: South-Central
9: South-East
Sargent: Normal.