Drought level considered high

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Continued dry weather in Weston County over the past year has led to an increase in fire danger, although no burn ban is in place at this time, according to Daniel Tysdal, Weston County fire warden. Last summer was extremely dry and 2021 to date has been similarly dry, he said. 
“We’ve failed to receive any significant moisture throughout the winter and early spring. This pattern has set the stage for what could be a treacherous wildland fire season in Weston County,” Tysdal said. “We have not had any spring green – up to this point, and the fuels are stressed due to the drought that started last season. Therefore, any fire that does start will have ample opportunity to move across the landscape quickly, especially with the warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds we’ve been experiencing.” 
Tysdal reported this information to the News Letter Journal on Monday as Weston County sat under a red flag warning that cited an increased fire danger due to gusty winds and low relative humidity, according to the National Weather Service. 
On March 18, a U.S. Drought Monitor release stated that severe drought, categorized as D2, covered almost all of Northeast Wyoming, including most of Campbell, Crook, and Weston counties. 
“Precipitation so far this water year, since Oct. 1, 2020, has been below average,” the release states. 
According to historic data from the National Weather Service, Newcastle received a total of 9.34 inches of precipitation during the 2020 calendar year, while Upton received 8.42 inches. Through January and February 2021, Newcastle received 0.78 inches of precipitation, while Upton only received 0.35 inches. 
Historic averages for the area show that between 1981 and 2010 Newcastle averaged 16.44 inches of precipitation to Upton’s average of 14.99 over the same time period. 
Before the two exceptionally dry year of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, Weston County experienced two of the wettest years on record, receiving 24.59 inches of precipitation in 2018 and 21.15 inches in 2019. Upton, during the same time period, received 21.61 inches and 22.31 inches, respectively. 
Drought conditions are not expected to subside, according to the Wyoming Water Supply Outlook from Wyoming Natural Resource Conservation Services hydrologist Jim Fahey. According to his report, the drought in Weston County will persist through May 31.
The outlook for temperatures in the area is reported to be above average, while the precipitation outlook for Weston County is below average.  
In addition, both basins encompassing parts of Weston County, the Cheyenne River Basin and the Belle Fourche River Basin, have below median snow water equivalent. The report states, however, that both currently have over 100% of the average when it comes to reservoir storage. 
Because of the continued drought in the area, small nonfarm businesses and producers in the area are eligible for various grants through the Farm Services Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration. 
“These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought,” the release from the administration states. 
Tysdal said that just because there is currently no burn ban, residents should be cautious when using fire. 
“As a reminder, folks should double-check any piles they have burned throughout the winter to ensure they are dead out! Further, burning is not advised unless or until conditions improve dramatically in Weston County,” Tysdal said. “Early spring wildland fires can still be catastrophic and extremely expensive to suppress — please use common sense and don’t burn during these dry conditions.”