Will It Ever Rain In Southeast Wyoming Again?

Will it ever rain in southeast Wyoming again?

That was the interesting question posted by regional meteorologist Don Day on his daily video podcast.

This past winter was a wet one for the western part of Wyoming.

This spring brought much-needed rain and snow for the northeastern part of the state.

But all of that rain and snow seemed to skip southeastern Wyoming.

WHY?

Mysteries like these are solved by looking at past weather trends.

First, we have to realize that our climate is now and has always been evolving.

There is no such thing as "it's supposed to be" when it comes to weather.

Some years are dry, some are wet.

Some years are cold others are warm.

There are long-term trends that extend far beyond what you will experience in your lifetime.

Don Day shows us a chart of past weather trends showing rain in southeast Wyoming.

Notice La Nina as you read the data below.

La Nina and El Nino are mostly caused by cycles of the Sun.

Sometimes the Sun is warmer than other times which can affect sea surface temperatures.

Dry springs in southeast Wyoming tend to occur during La Nina events.

That usually means a wet June for southeast Wyoming.

This does not mean that southeast Wyoming is guaranteed a wet June.

Watching trends like this gives us an idea of what might happen in the coming months, years, and decades.

But we must always keep in mind that there is no such thing as what the weather is "supposed to be".

Remember: Wyoming was once a tropical swamp, and at another time was buried under a mile of ice.