Connecting Ag to Climate: Recent and Current Conditions
Wyoming experienced its 37th coldest and 37th driest January out of 131 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information database, retrieved on Feb. 21.
Scaling to the county level, the adjacent tables include temperature and precipitation rankings of select counties for the month of January.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, released Feb. 20, classifies over 16.50 percent of Wyoming as being abnormally dry (D0), and it shows over 81.50 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 March 6-12, issued on Feb. 26, shows a 33 to 40 percent probability of below normal temperatures for the western one-third to two-thirds of Wyoming and near normal for the rest of the state.
For the same time frame, there is a 33 to 50 percent probability for above normal precipitation for most of Wyoming. The exception is the northeast corner where near normal precipitation is forecasted.
The one-month forecast for March, issued on Feb. 20, indicates an equal chance for below, near or above normal temperatures and precipitation for all of Wyoming.
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.
