674  
AXUS75 KRIW 072217 AAA  
DGTRIW  
WYC003-013-017-019-023-025-029-033-035-037-039-041-043-072230-  
 
DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY  
417 PM MDT FRI JUN 7 2013  
 
...SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS RETREAT ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL  
WYOMING...  
 
SYNOPSIS...  
A WET APRIL AND MAY ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL WYOMING  
RESULTED IN A LOWERING OF ONE CATEGORY IN SEVERITY ON THE LATEST  
DROUGHT MONITOR. MODERATE /D1/ CONDITIONS COVERED MOST OF NORTH  
AND CENTRAL WYOMING ON THE LATEST DROUGHT MONITOR RELEASED ON JUNE  
6TH.  
 
HERE ARE SOME OF THE NOTABLE PRECIPITATION TOTALS FOR APRIL AND MAY:  
 
LOCATION APRIL AND MAY PRECIPITATION PERCENT OF NORMAL  
(INCHES)  
 
SHERIDAN 5.30 134  
LANDER 5.12 126  
CASPER 4.35 131  
THERMOPOLIS 3.67 118  
RIVERTON (TOWN) 3.02 124  
 
HERE IS A COMPARISON OF DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN WYOMING AT THE  
BEGINNING OF APRIL AND ON JUNE 4TH...  
 
APRIL 2ND  
83.7 PERCENT OF STATE IN SEVERE /D2/ DROUGHT OR WORSE  
54.9 PERCENT OF STATE IN EXTREME /D3/ DROUGHT OR WORSE  
10.1 PERCENT OF STATE IN EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT  
 
JUNE 4TH  
47.4 PERCENT OF STATE IN SEVERE /D2/ DROUGHT OR WORSE  
7.8 PERCENT OF STATE IN EXTREME /D3/ DROUGHT OR WORSE  
ZERO PERCENT OF STATE IN EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT  
 
SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS OR WORSE REMAINED ACROSS THE NORTHERN  
BIG HORN BASIN AND MOST OF SOUTHERN WYOMING...WITH THE EXCEPTION  
OF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER. ABNORMALLY DRY /D0/ OR MODERATE DROUGHT  
/D1/ COVERED THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN. EXTREME /D3/ DROUGHT  
REMAINED MAINLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF CARBON...NIOBRARA AND CONVERSE  
COUNTIES. A WET SPRING PUT SOME LOCATIONS...MAINLY THOSE LISTED  
ABOVE...NEAR OR ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THE 2012-2013 WATER YEAR (SINCE  
OCTOBER 1, 2012). HOWEVER...WYOMING AS A WHOLE HAS EXPERIENCED  
SOME OF THE DRIEST PERIODS ON RECORD SINCE THE ONSET OF THE  
CURRENT DROUGHT THAT BEGAN WITH THE WARMEST AND SECOND DRIEST  
MARCH ON RECORD IN 2012. MAY 2011 THROUGH APRIL 2012 WAS THE LAST  
12 MONTH PERIOD WHEN WYOMING'S STATEWIDE PRECIPITATION AVERAGE WAS  
ABOVE THE 20TH CENTURY AVERAGE.  
 
PERIOD STATEWIDE AVG 20TH CENTURY RANK  
PRECIP (IN) AVG (IN) (OUT OF  
119 YEARS)  
 
MAY 2012-APR 2013 8.32 13.14 2ND DRIEST  
APR 2012-MAR 2013 7.71 13.16 1ST DRIEST  
MAR 2012-FEB 2013 7.64 13.16 1ST DRIEST  
FEB 2012-JAN 2013 7.90 13.16 1ST DRIEST  
 
JAN-DEC 2012 8.08 13.17 1ST DRIEST  
 
DEC 2011-NOV 2012 8.04 13.17 1ST DRIEST  
NOV 2011-OCT 2012 8.32 13.16 2ND DRIEST  
OCT 2011-SEP 2012 8.97 13.16 3RD DRIEST  
SEP 2011-AUG 2012 9.03 13.16 3RD DRIEST  
AUG 2011-JUL 2012 9.57 13.16 4TH DRIEST  
JUL 2011-JUN 2012 9.47 13.16 5TH DRIEST  
JUN 2011-MAY 2012 10.42 13.15 13TH DRIEST  
MAY 2011-APR 2012 13.35 13.14 69TH DRIEST  
 
SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...  
 
RIVER AND STREAMFLOW CONDITIONS.  
 
BELOW NORMAL STREAMFLOW VOLUMES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE REST OF THE  
SUMMER ACROSS MOST OF WYOMING'S MAJOR WATERSHEDS.  
 
FIRE WEATHER IMPACTS.  
 
NO FUELS WERE CLASSIFIED AS CRITICAL IN ANY AREAS ACROSS WEST AND  
CENTRAL WYOMING. SOME FUELS WERE BEGINNING TO CURE IN EARLY JUNE...  
MAINLY BELOW 6000 FEET ACROSS CENTRAL WYOMING. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL  
COUNTY OFFICIALS FOR THE LATEST BURNING RESTRICTIONS.  
 
THE SIGNIFICANT WILDLAND FIRE POTENTIAL OUTLOOK SHOWED NORMAL  
CONDITIONS DURING THE LATE SUMMER INTO EARLY AUTUMN 2013. WILDLAND  
FIRES ARE STILL EXPECTED TO OCCUR DURING FORECASTED NORMAL  
CONDITIONS AS WOULD USUALLY BE EXPECTED DURING THE OUTLOOK PERIOD.  
 
CLIMATE SUMMARY...  
 
BELOW ARE THE CUMULATIVE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS FROM SELECTED  
LOCATIONS ACROSS WEST AND CENTRAL WYOMING FOR THE CURRENT WATER  
YEAR...OCTOBER 2012 THROUGH MAY 2013.  
 
LOCATION PRECIPITATION % AVERAGE  
OCT 2012-MAY 2013  
-------- ------------- -----------  
 
AIRPORTS  
 
* BIG PINEY 2.13 61  
^ BUFFALO 4.73 64  
^ CASPER 7.41 98  
^ EVANSTON 4.24 55  
* GREYBULL 2.30 53  
^ LANDER 9.09 102  
^ RIVERTON 4.51 78  
* ROCK SPRINGS M M  
^ SHERIDAN 9.86 113  
* WORLAND 3.81 86  
 
M - ROCK SPRINGS MISSING PCPN DATA DEC 26 2012-APR 23 2013.  
 
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER STATIONS  
 
^ AFTON 12.28 102  
* BITTER CREEK 4 NE 3.14 75  
* FOSSIL BUTTE  
NATIONAL MONUMENT 7.33 103  
* GREEN RIVER 6.28 120  
^ JEFFREY CITY 6.91 104  
^ KAYCEE  
MOOSE 14.45 89  
OLD FAITHFUL 16.15 88  
* POWELL FIELD STATION 3.37 99  
^ RIVERTON (DOWNTOWN) 5.08 100  
^ THERMOPOLIS 6.35 85  
 
+ LOCATION IN EXTREME DROUGHT /D3/  
* LOCATION IN SEVERE DROUGHT /D2/  
^ LOCATION IN MODERATE DROUGHT /D1/  
(M) MISSING PRECIPITATION DATA IN RECORD  
 
PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOKS...  
 
THE ONE MONTH AND THREE MONTH OUTLOOKS WILL BE UPDATED ON THE  
THIRD THURSDAY OF THE CURRENT MONTH FOR THE NEXT MONTH AND THREE  
MONTH OUTLOOKS.  
 
THE LATEST JUNE OUTLOOK SHOWS THE LIKELIHOOD OF ABOVE NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES ACROSS ALL BUT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF WYOMING...THE  
GREATEST CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE WEST OF THE  
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THE PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FOR JUNE SHOWS A  
GREATER THAN EVEN CHANCE OF BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE  
WESTERN THIRD OF WYOMING. THE REST OF THE STATE STANDS EQUAL  
CHANCES OF ABOVE...BELOW OR NORMAL PRECIPITATION OR NO CLEAR  
CLIMATE SIGNAL.  
 
THE THREE MONTH OUTLOOK JUNE...JULY AND AUGUST SHOWS THE LIKELIHOOD  
OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS WYOMING. THE PRECIPITATION  
OUTLOOK FOR THIS SUMMER SHOWS EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE...BELOW OR  
NORMAL PRECIPITATION...OR NO CLEAR CLIMATE SIGNAL ACROSS WYOMING.  
 
DEVELOPMENT OF EL NINO CONDITIONS STALLED OUT IN SEPTEMBER IN THE  
PACIFIC OCEAN. ENSO NEUTRAL CONDITIONS WERE OBSERVED DURING  
WINTER 2012-13 THROUGH THIS SPRING. ENSO-NEUTRAL CONDITIONS ARE  
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO LATE SUMMER 2013.  
 
THE U.S. SEASONAL DROUGHT OUTLOOK RELEASED ON JUNE 6TH SHOWED  
THAT SOME IMPROVEMENT IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED TO  
CONTINUE ACROSS EASTERN WYOMING...AND ACROSS THE FAR NORTHERN  
BIGHORN RANGE AND SHERIDAN COUNTY THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST.  
DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS OTHER AREAS IN  
WYOMING CURRENTLY CURRENTLY CLASSIFIED WITH DROUGHT CONDITIONS.  
 
HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...  
 
FINAL SNOWPACK DATA FOR THE SEASON ON MAY 28TH -  
 
DRAINAGE BASIN PERCENT OF AVERAGE MAY 28 2012  
SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT (ONE YEAR AGO)  
(BASED ON 1981-2010 NORMALS)  
 
SNAKE RIVER 46 84  
MADISON 42 124  
YELLOWSTONE 53 103  
WIND RIVER 33 57  
BIG HORN BASIN 45 105  
SHOSHONE RIVER 47 93  
POWDER 74 12  
TONGUE 40 58  
UPPER NORTH PLATTE 73 19  
SWEETWATER 7 3  
LOWER NORTH PLATTE 100 0  
LARAMIE 59 0  
SOUTH PLATTE 90 0  
LITTLE SNAKE RIVER 52 23  
UPPER GREEN 50 84  
LOWER GREEN 43 13  
UPPER BEAR 20 21  
___________________________________________________________  
WEIGHTED STATE AVERAGE 56 43  
 
RESERVOIR DATA FOR JUNE 5TH -  
 
RESERVOIR PERCENT FULL  
 
CENTRAL WYOMING  
BOYSEN 73.4  
BUFFALO BILL 83.7  
BULL LAKE 72.3  
PATHFINDER 39.2  
 
UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN  
BIG SANDY 61.0  
FONTENELLE 55.0  
FLAMING GORGE 79.0  
 
UPPER SNAKE RIVER BASIN  
GRASSY LAKE 100.0  
JACKSON LAKE 95.0  
 
NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...  
 
THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED ON JUNE 10 2013 OR SOONER IF  
NECESSARY IN RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CONDITIONS.  
 

 
 
RELATED WEB SITES...  
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS MAY BE FOUND AT  
THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/...  
 
TO REPORT EFFECTS OF THE DROUGHT IN YOUR AREA...PLEASE GO TO THE  
DROUGHT IMPACT REPORTER AT...  
 
HTTP://DROUGHTREPORTER.UNL.EDU/  
 
...AND CLICK ON SUBMIT A REPORT.  
 
INFORMATION FOR THE MEDIA MAY BE FOUND AT...  
HTTP://DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/NEWSOUTREACH/INFORMATIONFORMEDIA.ASPX  
 
NWS RIVERTON DROUGHT PAGE...  
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/RIW/?N=DROUGHT  
 
USGS WYOMING DROUGHT WATCH...  
HTTP://WY.WATER.USGS.GOV/PROJECTS/DROUGHT/  
 
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR...HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.GOV  
 
NOAA DROUGHT PAGE...HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.NOAA.GOV  
 
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER /CPC/...HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV  
 
ADDITIONAL RIVER AND RESERVOIR INFORMATION...  
 
NWS ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/...  
HTTP://WWW.WATER.GOV/AHPS2/INDEX.PHP?WFO=RIW  
 
NRCS WYOMING...HTTP://WWW.WY.NRCS.USDA.GOV  
 
USGS...HTTP://WATER.USGS.GOV/  
 
USBR...HTTP://WWW.USBR.GOV/  
 
WATER RESOURCE DATA SYSTEM (WRDS)...HTTP://WWW.WRDS.UWYO.EDU  
 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...  
 
THE DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING NOAA/S  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER...THE  
USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL CENTER CLIMATOLOGISTS AND THE NATIONAL  
DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER. INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN  
GATHERED FROM NWS AND FAA OBSERVATION SITES...STATE COOPERATIVE  
EXTENSION SERVICES...THE USDA...USACE AND USGS.  
 
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...  
 
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT INFORMATION  
STATEMENT...PLEASE CONTACT...  
 
ARTHUR MEUNIER  
CLIMATE/DROUGHT FOCAL POINT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  
12744 WEST US HIGHWAY 26  
RIVERTON, WY 82501  
TELEPHONE...307-857-3898   
........
 
800-211-1448  
EMAIL...ARTHUR.MEUNIER@NOAA.GOV  
 

 
 
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