Powell’s ground isn’t parched, but it is a mite thirsty.

Rain and snow have been scant so far this year as May — historically the heaviest precipitation month — nears. 

On average, more moisture arrives in May than any other month of the year in the Powell area, said Katy Branham, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Riverton. December and February tie for the least.

Powell has received little more than a trickle of precipitation up to this point.

March yielded 0.09 inches of precipitation in Powell, according to the University of Wyoming Research and Extension Center.

“Yeah,” said Arthur Meunier, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Riverton, “you’re on the dry side there.”

Some governmental entities in the water business designate the water year as Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

From the beginning of the water year to the end of March, Powell has received 0.91 inches of precipitation, according to the Powell field station data, located at UW Research and Extension Center north of Powell, Meunier said.

The average precipitation at the Powell field station from Oct. 1 to March 31 is 1.5 inches. “So you’re at 61 percent of normal for the water year,” Meunier said.

Conversely, “Cody, they’re doing really well,” Meunier said.

From October 2014 to the end of March 2015, Cody has received 4.42 inches of precipitation. Cody’s average for that period is 2.92 inches, he said.

Powell averages 6.6 inches of precipitation per calendar year, according to a 119-year average. Statistics between 1895 and 2014 say the driest year was 2.36 inches in 1919. The wettest was 10.11 inches in 1932, according to Terry Foley’s Powellweather.net. Last year, rain and snow totaled 7.79 inches in Powell.

Current water year precipitation across Wyoming was 80 to 85 percent of average, said Jim Fahey, Wyoming National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hydrologist.

It could be worse, Powellites.

March precipitation totals across Wyoming were 45 to 50 percent of average. Precipitation numbers varied between 81 percent of average in the Little Snake River Basin to just less than 22 percent of normal over the Crow Creek/Lodgepole Creek drainage in southeast Wyoming, Fahey said.

The snow water equivalent, or SWE, average across Wyoming was 62 percent on Monday. Big Horn and Shoshone basin SWEs were 80 and 75 percent, respectively on Monday, according to a 30-year average from 1981 to 2010 from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Below-normal snowmelt volumes are expected across almost all major basins in Wyoming. Several central and southern basins, including the Upper North Platte, the Wind, the Little Snake and the Bear, are predicted to have well below normal streamflow volumes during the upcoming snowmelt season. Near normal streamflow volumes are expected across the Yellowstone/Clarks Fork drainage and the South Fork of the Shoshone River, Fahey said.

The weather appears moderately warmer than normal.

According to the National Weather Service it was 60 degrees at 1:30 p.m. on Monday.

The average April high is 58.1 degrees, according to the averages calculated from 1981 to 2014, Branham said.

April’s average low in Powell is 29.7 degrees. March’s average high is 49.1 and the average low is 21.2 degrees.

This week, predicted highs range from 73 today (Tuesday) to 39 on Wednesday. The lowest low is predicted at 30 degrees Wednesday night. The warmest low is 35 degrees tonight (Tuesday), according to the National Weather Service.

There are chances of snow or rain today (Tuesday) and Wednesday this week, according to the National Weather Service. 

Most of Powell area farmers will be dipping into their irrigation ditches pretty quick.

Heart Mountain Irrigation District farmers expect irrigation water to be available Wednesday or Thursday. The ground is dry, and farmers will be calling for water to irrigate fields as soon as possible, said Heart Mountain area farmer Kelly Spiering.

Shoshone Irrigation District was running 320 cubic feet per second in the Garland Canal Monday. During the season, the canal will carry a maximum of 875 to 900 cfs during the irrigation season, said Bryant Startin, Shoshone District manager.

The ground is dry in the Shoshone district.

Shoshone district farmer Rick Stroh said he plans to irrigate as soon as water is available.

Willwood Irrigation District Secretary/treasurer Kandie Berchtold said growers have not asked for water yet. Willwood water will be available between Thursday of this week and Monday of next, depending on whether the user’s location is upper or lower Willwood.

Rain would be nice. “Let’s hope we get some weather,” Berchtold said.