The Ag-Climate Update is a joint effort between our climate and extension specialists. Every month the update includes a brief summary of that month, agronomic impacts, relevant maps and graphs, 1-month temperature and precipitation outlooks, monthly extremes, and notable highlights.
November 2019 – The Block of Rockies: A cool and dry November
November was cooler and drier than normal, falling in the bottom third ranking for both temperature and precipitation. The only precipitation records set during the month were for daily snowfall amounts, at seven locations. Severe weather was limited, and confined to winter weather conditions.
The blocking pattern in the Rockies contributed to several high wind days, with blowing snow hampering travel. The high winds and relatively dry air also contributed to increased fire danger. Cheyenne County saw a major fire on the 9th, resulting in a disaster declaration by the Governor.
The normal expected winter precipitation amount is small; forecast trends indicate a gradient from the northeast to the southwest. This means there is little chance for drought improvement in the western parts of the state (Figure 1). Normal precipitation in Colby for December is 0.5 inches. For Columbus, the normal is 2.5 inches.
Figure 1. Drought map for Kansas as of December 3, 2019.
View the entire November 2019 Ag-Climate Summary, including the accompanying maps and graphics (not shown in this summary), at http://climate.k-state.edu/ag/updates/.