Drought conditions lifting – at least for now

As we transition into summer, Crook County is starting to see a little more badly needed moisture than it has for many months. In fact, this county experienced the fourteenth wettest April on record, with 1.24 extra inches of precipitation.

The year as a whole has been slightly wetter than average – an estimated 0.08 inches above normal. Over the Memorial Day weekend, the region experienced significant amounts of rainfall, with the National Weather Service out of Rapid City reporting 1.9 inches in Beulah.

Despite this, the county has remained in a condition of drought.

At this time, the U.S. Drought Monitor lists Crook County mostly as experiencing moderate drought, a situation in which hay and forage yield is expected to be low and fire danger is elevated. The southwestern corner of the county, including the Moorcroft area, is in severe drought, which is described as conditions in which vegetation is stressed, water pressure is low and hay is expected to be scarce.

This is already a less dry situation than Crook County has been experiencing over the past year, so will the ongoing drought continue into summer?

In the short term, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System, conditions are expected to be considerably wetter than usual, with most of the county experiencing much more precipitation than usual, especially in the north.

This is expected to relieve the drought conditions across much of Crook County, except for the center and southwest. Even there, conditions are mostly expected to upgrade to “abnormally dry”, the lowest category on the drought scale.

This is likely due to the extra rain – and perhaps snow – we’re expected to keep getting until at least the end of the week. The National Weather Service outlook until June 3 places the whole of Wyoming at an up to 50% chance of above normal precipitation, with temperatures likely to be below their usual levels at this time of year, too.

For now, the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s Monthly Drought Outlook anticipates that drought will remain in the western half of the county, but will improve. On the eastern side, the removal of drought conditions is likely.

However, this improvement could be temporary. The Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal outlook, valid until the end of August, suggests that drought will persist across the entire county.