Connecting Ag to Climate: Recent and Current Conditions
By Windy Kelley
Wyoming experienced its 42nd warmest and 19th driest July out of 126 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) database, retrieved August 25.
Scaling down to the county level, the adjacent tables show July temperature and precipitation information for select counties. Water year precipitation from Oct. 1, 2019 through July 31, 2020 is also included for select counties.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, from Aug. 20, shows over 21 percent of Wyoming is abnormally dry, and nearly 71 percent of the state is experiencing moderate to extreme drought. View the current USDM map at bit.ly/2S28VTA.
Eight to 14 day and one month forecasts
NOAA’s eight to 14 day forecast for Sept. 2-8, made Aug. 25, is leaning towards below-normal temperatures for all of Wyoming with a 33 to 60 percent probability or chance of seeing those lower temperatures. For the same timeframe, there is a 33 to 40 percent probability of below-normal precipitation for all of Wyoming.
The probability increases from north to south.
The September forecast for Wyoming, made Aug. 20, indicates a 33 to 50 percent probability of above normal temperatures throughout the state, with the highest probability in the western half of the state.
There is a 33 to 40 percent probability of below normal precipitation for the majority of Wyoming. The exception is the northern border of the state where there are equal chances of below, near or above normal precipitation for the same timeframe.
To view more NOAA forecasts, visit cpc.ncep.noaa.gov.
Windy K. Kelley is the regional Extension program coordinator and state specialist for the USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub, University of Wyoming Extension and WAFERx. She can be reached at wkelley1@uwyo.edu or 307-367-4325.
