Connecting Ag to Climate: Recent and Current Conditions
Wyoming experienced its 33rd warmest and 34th driest January out of 128 years according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) database, retrieved Feb. 21. Scaling to the county level, the adjacent tables show temperature and precipitation rankings of select counties for the month of January.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, released Feb. 17, shows 100 percent of Wyoming continues to experience abnormally dry or moderate to extreme drought. The state has seen an increase in the severity of drought conditions since Jan. 18. For example, there is 6.44 percent more area classified as 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 March 3 through March 9, made Feb. 23, shows a 33 to 60 percent probability or chance for below average temperatures for all of Wyoming. For the same time frame, there is a 33 to 50 percent probability for above average precipitation for the entire state.
The March forecast, made Feb. 17, indicates an equal chance of below, near or above normal temperatures for most of Wyoming.
For the same time frame, there is a 33 to 40 percent probability for above normal precipitation for the greater northwest corner of the state. For the rest of Wyoming, there is an equal chance for below, near or above normal precipitation.
For details and 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.
