Spring may see showers, but no end to drought

After the warmest winter on record for the United States, there are indications that Wyoming may still get its fair share of spring showers.

Predictions for the next couple of weeks suggest above average precipitation and cooler-than-normal temperatures in this area, with the temperatures then rising but the possibility of extra moisture lasting through until at least the middle of April.

This is a marked change from a winter that has now been reported as the warmest on record – an estimated 5.4 degrees above average for the United States as a whole. February was the ninth month in a row of record-warm months across the globe, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Crook County enjoyed temperatures up to an estimated six degrees warmer than average this February, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Across the winter period as a whole, temperatures in this county were up to eight degrees above average.

Precipitation during February was fairly average in Crook County, but was up to 50% less than average in some parts of the county across the winter.

NCEI reports that the winter was the warmest on record for the contiguous U.S. and saw eight states break their temperature records, while February was the third-warmest on record for the nation and also the third driest.

At this time, much of the southwest of the county is in severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with the north and east in moderate drought. Despite the potential for extra rain this spring, drought conditions are expected to persist over the next three months.