Recent and Current Conditions
Wyoming experienced its 44th warmest and 10th wettest October out of 127 years according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) database, retrieved Nov. 19. Scaling to the county level, the adjacent tables show temperature and precipitation rankings of select counties for the month of October.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, released Nov. 18, shows 100 percent of Wyoming is continuing to experience abnormally dry or moderate to extreme drought.
View the current USDM map 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 Nov. 30-Dec. 6, made Nov. 22, shows a 50 to 70 percent probability or chance for above average temperatures for all of Wyoming, with the highest probability in the southern third of the state. For the same timeframe, there is a 33 to 50 percent probability for above average precipitation for most of the state. The exception is the southeast corner where there is an equal chance for below, near or above normal precipitation.
The December forecast, made Nov. 18, indicates a 33 to 50 percent probability for above-normal temperatures throughout most of Wyoming. The exception is along the northern border, where there is an equal chance for below, near or above-normal temperatures.
For the same time frame, there is a 33 to 50 percent probability for above-normal precipitation for the western two-thirds of the state. There is an equal chance for below, near or above-normal precipitation for the rest of the state.
To view more 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, University of Wyoming Extension and WAFERx. She can be reached at wkelley1@uwyo.edu or 307-367-4380.
