Midwest Overview - September, 2005

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A Very Warm September in the Midwest

September was not as wet as August in the Midwest, but still produced slightly above normal precipitation totals for the region as a whole (42nd wettest since 1895). However, there were "have" and "have not" locations, with the northern Midwest and a curving band from southern Missouri to northern Ohio receiving 3-6 inches for the month, while the core drought areas through southern Iowa and northern Illinois, and in eastern Kentucky, received less than normal to far less than normal rainfall (Figure 1). Drought intensified in eastern Kentucky and southwestern Iowa, where less than 50% of normal precipitation fell (Figure 2), but was generally ameliorated elsewhere. The temperatures of summer were maintained far into September in the region, with the central and central-northern Midwest states recording more the 5°F above normal departures for the month (Figure 3). This was the 5th warmest September for the Midwest since 1895, and a number of individual states were highly ranked: Illinois (5th warmest), Iowa (3rd warmest), Michigan (6th warmest), Minnesota (6th warmest) and Wisconsin (4th warmest). The period June through September, 2005, was also the 5th warmest for the Midwest, with impressive state ranks for this period in all nine Midwestern Region states: Illinois (7th warmest), Indiana (10th warmest), Iowa (3rd warmest), Kentucky (7th warmest), Michigan (2nd warmest), Minnesota (5th warmest), Missouri (7th warmest), Ohio (4th warmest), and Wisconsin (2nd warmest). The temperatures in Wisconsin and Michigan were second only to 1921, which was slightly warmer in Wisconsin and appreciably warmer in Michigan. The warm air temperatures also led to enhanced warming of the Great Lakes, and more summer evaporation than normal, lowering the lakes again after 18 months of recovery from the 2003 low stand. The U.S. Drought Monitor map at the end of the month (Figure 4, National Drought Mitigation Center) indicates that the Midwest Drought of 2005 is far from over.