June 2020 Among Driest on Record

 

After multiple attempts over the last couple weeks trying to snap a good picture of this specific pronghorn doe and her triplets, I finally managed to crawl within range, only to be stymied by the only grass on the ranch tall enough to blur a picture. I'll just be glad there's tall grass somewhere on the place. ~ BS

The month of June was, for the most part, rather bleak when it came to weather. Though extreme storms weren't a major issue, drought-like conditions prevailed across the area. The dry conditions started off last winter, continuing through spring and right into summer, only to be further aggravated by grasshoppers. The scourge of hoppers has begun to devastate pastures and fields, leaving scant grazing in its wake.

In the last few days of June, a welcome dose of moisture fell across the land, producing widespread showers and a brief respite from the heat, dry conditions, and early wildfires.

The generally dry conditions resulted in several early wildfires. The Dog Town Fire, reported June 13th, 20 miles Northeast of Broadus burned 1 acre. The North Fork and Griffin Coulee Fires on June 14th, 30 miles SE of Ashland burned a combined 10.8 acres. The Second Creek Fire south of Broadus on June 22nd burned 22.1 acres, the Coal Creek Fire 7 miles east of Ashland burned 2.2 acres on July 7th. The largest fire thus far was the Fire Gulch Fire, 16 miles SW of Broadus, which was originally reported June 14th, burning 3486 acres in total, and putting up smoke for nearly two weeks. All the fires were listed as lightning caused.

Grasshopper infestations have been reported across the county, though the swarms seem to be somewhat localized. That is, some areas are being hit very hard, with crop damage and gardens being affected. Other areas are seeing few hoppers. Portions of the county along the Little Powder River and its sources have been hit hard, and large numbers of grasshoppers were reportedly escaping from the flames of the Fire Gulch Fire, while residents in the western reaches of the county have reported little in the way of grasshoppers.

From January 1st to June 30th, Broadus received a scant 3.98" of precipitation, bolstered heavily by a .47" rainstorm on June 30th. By comparison, the driest year on record for the same time period was 1988, with 3.56" of precipitation from Jan. 1 to June 30. The wettest year on record for that period was last year – 2019 had an astounding 14.45" of precipitation from Jan. 1 to June 30.The previously mentioned .47" of rain on June 30th was only the second round of significant moisture felt in Broadus during June. A .14" storm came through on the 4th, with a few light sprinkles here and there to make a total of .65" for the month. Normal precipitation for June is 2.25".

The hottest temp of the month in Broadus came on June 27th at 99 degrees, while the low for the month of 40 fell on June 19th. The average high – 85.4, was over 5 degrees warmer than the normal of 79.2.

Rainfall around the area was spotty during June, with many areas further afield from Broadus seeing locally heavier amounts. The Volborg station recorded 1.25" on the month, with .50" falling on June 30th.

The Powderville 8 miles NNE station received 1.76" of precip in June, with .95" falling on the 30th. The high temp for the month at that station was 99 on June 27th, with the low for the month bottoming out at 37 on June 19th.

The Moorhead 9 miles NE station had 1.40" of rain in June, with .63" falling on the 30th. Their high of 98 came on June 27th, with the low for the month at a chilly 35 on the 19th.

The Biddle 8 miles SW station received 1.87" of precip on the month, with a lovely .89" falling on June 30th. Their high for the month of 98 came on June 24th, with the mercury dipping down to 40 on June 19th.

The Sonnette 7 miles SW station was the "winning" weather station of the month when it came to precipitation. The station recorded 2.39" of precipitation in June, with .79" on June 28th and .56" on June 30th. Their high for the month of 96 came on June 27th, and fell to 35 on June 19th.

July began with a few severe hail producing thunderstorms, and more rainfall, though the grasshoppers and early drought conditions have already taken their toll. A 103 degree high temp in Broadus on June 12th hasn't helped the matter, but that temperature isn't out of line for mid-July. The record for June 12th of 104 was recorded in 1925.

 

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