I'll trade you.
Last six months are driest on record in North Dakota
Apr 23, 2008 - 04:05:12 CDT
By JAMES MacPHERSON
Associated Press Writer
The past six months have been the driest on record in North Dakota, with the parched western part of the state suffering the most, the state climatologist says.
Through Monday, the statewide average precipitation for the past 180 days was only 1.59 inches, or 38 percent of normal, and the driest since record keeping began 113 years ago, said Adnan Akyuz, the state climatologist.
"The bottom line - it's dry," he said.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows the western half of the state in moderate to extreme drought, with the eastern half listed as abnormally dry.
"Only the eastern half of Cass County is not impacted by the latest drought," Akyuz said.
It can't get much worse on the Leland cattle ranch, near Beach in western North Dakota.
"Our grass is barely greening," said Luella Leland. "There is not enough ground moisture to keep it green."
Leland said she and her family are praying for rain.
"We're praying instead of crossing our fingers," Leland said. "I don't believe in luck."
Fifty-five percent of the state is listed as having extreme drought, and 22 percent is in the severe drought category, Akyuz said. No areas in the state are listed in the exceptional category, the worst of the rankings.
Akyuz said county agents in western North Dakota are worried about the dry, dusty conditions.
"It's so dusty out west, that there is concern among cattle farmers that pneumonia may be an issue for cattle," Akyuz said. "Livestock farmers are thinking about buying hay, moving cattle, hauling water, or moving their cattle out of the state."
Wade Moser, executive vice president of the North Dakota Stockmen's Association, said ranchers still hope for soaking spring rain.
"I've talked to some people who say it's as dry as it's been in a long time," Moser said. "I haven't heard many say it's the worst ever ... we're still hoping for a forecast that will give us something."
Besides North Dakota, the other parts of the country experiencing extreme drought are western Nebraska, southwestern Texas, and parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows. The extreme southwest part of Texas is the only area in the nation listed as having exceptional drought on the federal drought map.
"Western North Dakota definitely pops up and is on our radar," said Michael Hayes, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. "The High Plains have really suffered in these past seven or eight years."
Drought conditions in the U.S. have been prevalent in the past decade, he said.
"Since 1999, large parts of the country have been experiencing drought conditions," Hayes said. "I don't think this is unlike those years."
Akyuz said North Dakota's drought problems have been ongoing.
"North Dakota starting getting into trouble this fall, when it was the 41st driest fall in history, and the 20th warmest fall," he said. The average statewide temperature was 44.4 degrees, about 2 degrees above average, he said.
Snowfall also was below normal this winter throughout most of the state, Akyuz said.
Fargo recorded 50.7 inches of snow this winter, or 4.2 inches above normal, Akyuz said. But snowfall amounts slid to the west, with Bismarck recording 18.8 inches, or 30.5 inches below normal, and Williston 14.9 inches, or 26.8 inches below normal, he said.
Still, Akyuz said there is time to improve.
"Even though the drought may seem to be devastating and the numbers look very bad, timely spring rains may help us recover," he said.
