Connecting Ag to Climate: Current and Recent Conditions
Wyoming experienced its 26th coolest and 43rd driest April out of 129 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information database, retrieved May 30.
Scaling to the county level, the adjacent tables include temperature and precipitation rankings of select counties for the month of April.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, released May 25, classifies over 18 percent of the state as moderate to severe drought (D1 to D2) and nearly 36 percent as abnormally dry (DO).
The remainder of the state, nearly 46 percent, is classified as none – in other words, these areas are not experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions.
To view the current USDM map, visit bit.ly/2S28VTA. Consider submitting a Condition Monitoring Observer Report at bit.ly/3c4WRLR.
Eight- to 14-day, one-month and Grass-Cast forecasts
NOAA’s eight- to 14-day forecast for June 7-13, issued May 30, shows Wyoming split into thirds with a 33 to 50 percent probability for below normal temperatures from the southern border of Sweetwater County, north and east into Goshen County.
Meanwhile, the same forecast shows an equal chance of below, near or above normal temperatures from Uinta County, north and east into the southeastern corner of Crook County.
There is a 33 to 50 percent probability for above normal temperatures from Lincoln County, north and east into the northern tier of Crook County.
For the same timeframe, the forecast shows a 40 to 60 percent probability for above normal precipitation for the entire state, with the greatest chance in the southwestern corner of Wyoming.
The June forecast, issued May 18, indicates equal chances for below, near or above normal temperatures for all of Wyoming. For the same timeframe, the forecast shows 33 to 50 percent probability for above normal precipitation for the state, with the greatest chance in the southeast corner of Wyoming.
For additional information and NOAA forecasts, visit cpc.ncep.noaa.gov.
The 2023 Grass-Cast maps are now available. Recall Grass-Cast forecasts grassland productivity for select areas in Wyoming and beyond.
To view the maps, which are updated biweekly, visit grasscast.unl.edu/ and ask oneself, “If rain through August is above, near or below normal, how much range vegetation might grow in a particular area?”
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.
