Intermountain West Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar: February 20, 2024

Welcome to the Intermountain West Drought Briefing 

Speaker: Dr. Gretel Follingstad | NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)

• Welcome to the February 2024 Intermountain West Drought Briefing:
  • View past webinar recordings at drought.gov/webinars.
  • Introducing the speakers: 
    • Intermountain West Conditions & Drought Outlook: Tony Anderson, NOAA's National Weather Service – Cheyenne, Wyoming
      Wyoming Drought Dashboard: Tony Bergantino, Wyoming State Climate Office & Water Resource Data System, University of Wyoming
      Wyoming Agricultural Community Needs Assessment Survey: Windy Kay Kelley, USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub & University of Wyoming Extension
• Read the latest Western Snow Drought Status Update.

Current Conditions and Drought Outlook 

Speaker: Tony Anderson| NOAA’s National Weather Service – Cheyenne, Wyoming

• The western U.S.—and the Intermountain West region in particular—was warm and mostly dry thus far this winter.
• Recent storms improved snowpack from well below normal to just below normal for most mountain ranges in the region.
• Drought conditions may be slow to recover as snowpack and runoff are assessed.
• Headwaters reservoirs across the Intermountain West states have recovered considerably. However, Lakes Mead and Powell remain extremely low.
• We are currently in a strong El Niño, which is forecast to transition to a La Niña this summer.
• El Niño can bring late winter and spring snows to Colorado and Wyoming. 

Special Presentation: Wyoming Drought Dashboard

Speaker: Tony Bergantino | Wyoming State Climate Office & Water Resource Data System, University of Wyoming

• The Water Resources Data System (WRDS) is a database and resource of hydrological and climatological data for the state of Wyoming. WRDS is funded by the Wyoming Water Development Office and is a part of the Department of Atmospheric Science at the University of Wyoming. 
• WRDS serves as the Wyoming State Climate Office (SCO) and, as such, we provide a variety of services ranging from the development of enhanced drought-monitoring products to the online dissemination of water and climate resources and publications. WRDS/SCO also supports a variety of stakeholder groups by assisting in the development of the Wyoming State Water Plan and helping to coordinate long-term monitoring efforts throughout the region.
• WRDS allows users to view and overlay multiple parameters of climate, water, and drought information and data for the state of Wyoming.
• WRDS is an evolving tool that provides useful information for users, which helps with drought but goes beyond just drought.
• The Wyoming State Climate Office is open to feedback to improve usability:
  • What would you like to see and better understand?
  • What makes this more useful for all audiences?

Special Presentation: Wyoming Agricultural Community Needs Assessment Survey

Speaker: Windy Kay Kelley | USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub & University of Wyoming Extension

• The needs assessment survey was aimed at identifying weather, climate, and water data, tools, and resource needs among technical service providers that would enable them to better serve their clientele.
• Critical topics for consideration in Wyoming included: 
  • Drought management
  • Water availability
  • Climate change preparation and mitigation
  • Building system resilience
  • Changing weather patterns and ecosystem resilience
• Research/outcomes of the assessment include: 
  • Conservation improved technologies
  • Groundwater recharge, storage
  • Education/community involvement (e.g., internships for undergraduates)
  • Producer centered research and outreach
  • Co-development of research, policies, and implementation
  • Making resilience actionable (translate data into actionable steps)
  • Focus on education (and buy-in)
  • Improve relationships (build trust)
  • Communication (between agricultural and non-agricultural communities with government and researchers)
• What has changed in Wyoming?
  • Average temperatures have increased >2.5 °F since 1900.
  • Annual rainfall has increased 0.19 inch since 1895.
  • Extreme rain has increased since 1950.
  • Evaporation has increased due to rising temperatures.

Questions & Answers

Speaker: Dr. Gretel Follingstad | NOAA/NIDIS, CIRES/CU Boulder