UW Extension to Provide Updates on Wyoming Drought Conditions and Predictions

For Wyomingites interested in current and predicted drought status, temperatures and precipitation levels, the Wyoming Conditions and Monitoring Team (WCMT) facilitates monthly webinars open to the public.

The webinar series is organized by University of Wyoming Extension in collaboration with local, state, regional and federal partners. These include the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Geological Survey, the Wyoming State Climate Office, the Water Resources Data System at UW and the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office.

Webinars typically occur the third Thursday of each month from 1-2 p.m. Webinar recordings and downloadable PDFs of the presentations are available at https://drought.wyo.gov. Recordings also can be found on UW Extension’s YouTube channel.

Founded in response to an ongoing drought that emerged in 2020, WCMT brings together state, federal, university and tribal partners to monitor and report drought-related information to the people of Wyoming and the U.S. Drought Monitor.

WCMT’s monthly webinars address local and statewide precipitation, average temperatures, stream flow, reservoir levels and soil moisture. In addition to reporting current conditions, experts compare data to historical trends and relay predictions for the coming weeks and months. The webinars also address seasonally relevant topics such as flooding outlooks, wildland fire potential and snow water equivalent. 

“We start with current conditions to help the audience understand why the U.S. Drought Monitor looks the way it does and then transition into discussing outlooks,” says Windy Kelley, regional extension program coordinator for the USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub and UW Extension weather variability and agricultural resiliency specialist.

The next “Wyoming Conditions and Outlooks” webinar is scheduled Thursday, April 20, at 1 p.m. To register, go to https://bit.ly/4014att.

To join the monthly WCMT webinar invitation list or to submit questions, email Kelley at wkelley1@uwyo.edu.

About University of Wyoming Extension 

Since 1914, UW Extension has provided lifelong learning opportunities to Wyoming citizens across the state. With roots in agricultural education, UW Extension supports rural communities facing contemporary challenges and changes. UW Extension brings the university’s resources to each of the state’s 23 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation. To learn more about UW Extension, call (307) 766-5124 or visit www.uwyo.edu/uwe.

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