Western Drought Slowly Ends, Long Term Forecast Shows

Weather comes in cycles, as we all know. Times of drought give way to years we wish it would stop raining and snowing.

Western states like Wyoming have been caught in a drought cycle for a few years now.

But based on past trends, and what we see coming, this later winter and spring should bring an end to that trend.

SLOWLY GETTING WETTER

Regional meteorologist Don Day of Day Weather has just released an updated forecast where he looks at long-term trends.

According to those trends, which you can see in the video below, pacific patterns, as well as Sun cycles, are changing. Historically this changes our weather here in the west.

We are all used to the seasonal weather trends of Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall. But there are longer trends that affect us. Periods of drought come every decade or so. Periods of cold can last for years but then we will go through periods of warming as well.

WHY DO WE GO THROUGH DROUGHT AND WET PERIODS?

The West has been in a drought for a few years. This is part of a natural trend. That trend should be coming to an end by 2022.

Weather trends here in North America have a lot to do with what happens in the Pacific. As we swap between what is known as La Nina El Nino we will swap from hot and dry to wet and cold.

U.S. Drought Monitor

This is why the west has had a long period of drought. La Nina has a lot to do with the Sun. The Sun has cycles just like the weather does here on Earth. When the Sun is in a calm period we tend to fall into a La Nina effect. That can mean dryer weather, even droughts.

Get our free mobile app

About every 10 years we go through a 2 year La Nina will coincide with the Sun cycles. According to Don Day of Day Weather, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, we are not on the backside of a La Nina. That means we will be coming out of it, soon, but not too soon.

WE ARE WITNESSING TYPICAL WEATHER CHANGES

According to past trends, if they hold this time, we will begin the winter season of 2021-2022 a bit warmer and dryer. But that trend will slowly change as we get later into the winter of 2022. At that point, we should slowly be moving back into El Nino. So expect to see a wetter trend by next spring.

So, the bad news for the West is a continued drought situation for the rest of 2021 and into the beginning of 2022.

The good news for the West is that by the spring of 2022 snow and rain will return, and boy do we need it.