Montana, Wyoming Facing "Unprecented" Drought

BILLINGS, Mont. - As Montana enters its sixth year of drought, producers are starting to remember the day of the Dust Bowl. "Some of the numbers are quite close even though we're only five years into the drought," said hydrologist Gina Loss of the National Weather Service office in Great Falls, Mont. "Temperatures were above normal and then cooled off with below normal precipitation then close to normal precipitation in the Dust Bowl. With this drought, we've had below normal precipitation, then it's come close to normal, and above normal temperatures."

The state will continue to get warmer as the year continues, Loss told about 100 producers at a recent drought forum in Billings. Loss was one of seven experts addressing drought during the forum. "Drought has become a fact of life," said John Pulasky of the Northern Ag Network. "We're not going to change it."

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In March, the temperatures were warm - 10 to 12 degrees above normal average highs and almost no precipitation, which added to the dismal drought picture, she added. "The mountains are low on precipitation; the plains are still low, and we're half way through the water year," Loss explained. "We're running quite short on precipitation." Montana's best chance for precipitation lies in May and June and the forecast isn't very wet. "From May to July, we're expecting below nomral precipitation and above normal temperatures for the eastern Montana," said Loss. "And western Montana has equal chances for above or below normal precipitation with above normal temperatures."

Mountainous snowpacks should be at their maximum right now, but instead are quickly melting, according to water supply specialist Roy Kaiser of the Natural Resources and Conservation Service. "Wyoming's mountains are extremely below average snowpack and Montana isn't looking so good either," he said. "This year they got a good start, but they are losing it as we go through time."

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nothing to see here--- Move along </sarcasm off>

Well, the trees and the environmentalists, of course. But then again, it those fires may be started by Clinton's penis. <end sarcasm>.