Recent and current conditions
Wyoming experienced its fifth warmest and 52nd driest July out of 127 years according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) database, retrieved Aug. 24. Scaling to the county level, the adjacent tables show temperature and precipitation rankings of select counties for the month of July.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, released Aug. 19, shows greater than 94 percent of Wyoming is experiencing moderate to exceptional drought – this is approximately a 10 percent increase compared to last month.
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 Sept. 2-8, made Aug. 25, shows a 33 to 40 percent probability, or chance, for above average temperatures for the southern two-thirds of Wyoming. There is an equal chance for below, near or above normal temperatures for the rest of the state.
For the same timeframe, there is a 33 percent probability for above average precipitation for most of Wyoming. The exception is the northwest corner of the state, where precipitation is expected to be normal.
The September forecast, made Aug. 19, indicates a 33 to 50 percent probability for above normal temperatures throughout most of Wyoming, with the greatest probability in the northwest corner. For the same timeframe, there is a 33 to 40 percent probability for below normal precipitation for much of the state.
The southeast corner of Wyoming is the exception for both temperature and precipitation, with an equal chance for below, near or above normal conditions.
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.
