Connecting Ag to Climate: Recent and Current Conditions
Wyoming experienced its 44th coolest and 51st wettest February out of 129 years according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information database, retrieved March 22.
The adjacent tables include temperature and precipitation rankings of select counties for the month of February.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, released March 16, classifies over 38 percent of the state as moderate to extreme drought and nearly 19 percent of Wyoming as abnormally dry.
The remainder of the state, more than 43 percent, is classified as none – in other words, these areas are not experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions.
The current USDA map can be viewed at bit.ly/2S28VTA. Consider submitting a Condition Monitoring Observer Report at bit.ly/3c4WRLR.
Eight- to 14-day and
one-month forecasts
NOAA’s eight- to 14-day forecast for March 29 to April 4, issued March 21, shows a 40 to 70 percent probability for below normal temperatures for all of Wyoming.
The greatest probability is in the western side of the state. For the same timeframe, the forecast shows near normal precipitation for nearly the entire state.
The exception is the southwest corner, where there is a 33 to 40 percent probability for above normal precipitation.
The April forecast, issued March 16, indicates a 33 to 50 percent probability for below normal temperatures for the western portion of Wyoming, and an equal chance of below, near or above normal temperatures for the rest of the state.
For the same timeframe, the forecast shows equal chances of below, near or above normal precipitation for nearly all of Wyoming.
The exception is the southwest corner where there is a 33 to 40 percent probability for below normal precipitation.
For additional information and NOAA forecasts, visit cpc.ncep.noaa.gov.
Windy K. Kelley is the regional Extension program coordinator and state specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Northern Plains Climate Hub, the University of Wyoming Extension and WAFERx. She can be reached at wkelley1@uwyo.edu or 307-367-4380.
