Connecting Ag to Climate: Recent and current conditions
Wyoming experienced its second warmest and 40th driest October out of 130 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information database, retrieved Nov. 22.
Scaling to the county level, the minimum October temperatures of Wyoming’s counties ranked from the second to the 18th warmest, and the maximum temperatures ranked from the warmest to the seventh warmest out of 130 years – see adjacent tables.
Precipitation rankings of select counties for the month of October are also included in the adjacent tables.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, released Nov. 21, classifies nearly two percent of Wyoming as being abnormally dry (D0), and it shows over 98 percent of the state in moderate (D1) to extreme drought (D3).
View the current USDM map at bit.ly/usdm-wy. Consider submitting a Condition Monitoring Observer Report at bit.ly/condtionreports.
Eight- to 14-day and one-month forecasts
NOAA’s eight- to 14-day forecast for Dec. 1-7, issued on Nov. 23, shows a 33 to 40 percent probability of above normal temperatures for the western two-thirds of Wyoming, and an equal chance for below, near or above normal temperatures for the eastern third of the state.
For the same timeframe, there is a 33 to 50 percent probability for below average precipitation for most of Wyoming, with the highest probability in the southwestern corner of the state. The exception is the greater northeast corner of the state where there is an equal chance for below, near or above normal precipitation.
The one-month forecast for December, issued on Nov. 21, indicates a 33 to 40 percent probability of above normal temperatures along the southern border of Wyoming and an equal chance for below, near or above normal temperatures for the rest of the state.
For the same timeframe, there is a 33 to 40 percent probability for above normal precipitation in the very northwestern corner of Wyoming and an equal chance for below, near or above normal precipitation throughout the rest of the state.
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.
