Connecting AG to Climate: Recent and Current Conditions
Wyoming experienced its sixth warmest and 49th driest May out of 129 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information database, retrieved June 16.
Scaling to the county level, the adjacent tables include temperature and precipitation rankings of select counties for the month of May.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, released June 15, classifies nearly 16 percent of the state as moderate to severe drought (D1-D2) and over 23 percent of Wyoming as abnormally dry (DO).
The remainder of the state, nearly 61 percent, is classified as none – in other words, these areas are not experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions.
View the current USDM map at 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 29 through July 5, issued June 21, shows a 33 to 40 percent probability for below normal temperatures for the greater northeast corner of Wyoming, a 33 to 40 percent probability of above normal temperatures for the southwest corner and near normal temperatures for the remainder of the state.
For the same timeframe, the forecast shows a 33 to 50 percent probability for above normal precipitation for nearly the entire state – the exception is the southwest corner where near normal precipitation is forecasted.
The July forecast, issued June 15, 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 northern two-thirds of the state and an equal chance for below, near or above normal precipitation for the southern third.
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.
