The Kansas 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.
August 2023: Week-long heat waves across the Great Plains
The average statewide temperature for August was 78.8°F, or 1.7°F above normal. This ranked as the 33rd warmest August out of 129 years of records, dating back to 1895. All nine climate divisions were above normal. Anomalies ranged from +0.6°F (southwest) to +2.6°F (east central). It was the 19th warmest August on record in east central Kansas, the highest-ranking division.
Average statewide precipitation for August was 2.80”, or 80% of normal. This amount was 0.71” below normal, and ranked as the 56th driest August on record. Only two divisions had above-normal precipitation: north central (+0.16”) and northwest (+0.12”) Kansas.
When combined with June and July, it was the 7th wettest meteorological summer on record in southwest Kansas. For April-August, the 2023 growing season in southwest Kansas was the 10th wettest on record.
Figure 1. Departures from normal temperature (°F) and precipitation (inches) for August 2023.
View the entire August 2023 Ag-Climate Update, including the accompanying maps and graphics (not shown in this eUpdate article), at http://climate.k-state.edu/ag/updates/
Xiaomao Lin, State Climatologist
xlin@ksu.edu
Matthew Sittel, Assistant State Climatologist
msittel@ksu.edu