Tornadoes, flooding and heat; June brought a gamut of different types of weather to the central Plains.
While severe weather and heat can be typical for June, some areas were battered with severe storms day after day with some areas dealing with persistent heat, too.
Some storms dropped heavy rain that led to flooding. With the flooding, some roads were washed out. Crests along the Missouri River caused moderate flooding in some areas as well.
On the other side, the U.S. Department of Agriculture mentioned that areas that were drier and dealing with excessive heat started to show stress on crops in parts of the Corn Belt.
ENSO-neutral conditions are now present in the global view. Forecasts currently point toward a transition to La Niña at some point in the late summer or early fall. Once that transition occurs, La Niña is expected to remain into the winter months.
Warmer months ahead
July looks to be hot as long-term forecasts point toward above normal temperatures for the entire middle part of the country.
That trend is actually expected to remain the next three months for all the Plains where temperatures will likely average above seasonal norms.
Southern and eastern Texas are expected to see above normal precipitation for the next month, while Texas’ panhandle, northern Oklahoma into all of Kansas and Nebraska are likely to see the opposite with below normal numbers.
Nebraska, Kansas and the western halves of Oklahoma and Texas are forecast to experience continued below average precipitation through September. Other parts of Texas, including eastern and southern portions, will likely still see rain adding up to above normal totals for that time frame.
Drought may hang with us
While we’ve had some drought condition improvements in the recent months, lack of precipitation in the upcoming months will likely leave their mark with drought re-developing or persisting for southern Nebraska into central and western Kansas along with western Oklahoma and portions of western Texas.
I’m always keeping an eye to the sky (and the weather patterns), so watch for next month’s update.
Editor’s note: Regina Bird grew up on a farm near Belleville, Kansas. The views from the farm helped spur her interest in weather. Following high school, she went on to get a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from the University of Kansas. She worked as a television meteorologist for nine years in Nebraska. Follow her on Twitter: @ReginaBirdWX
