This week brought widespread precipitation, but another week of warm temperatures to Wyoming, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

Much of the State received much needed moisture this week, with precipitation totals over 0.4 inches for most of the State. Localized areas in the southeastern corner remained dry, with totals around 0.05 inches.

Goshen and Platte counties reported significant moisture was received this week. Big Horn County reported substantial moisture as well, however, the moisture was received too late to improve grazing conditions.

Lincoln County reported that moisture received so far this fall has been generous, however, it was received too late in the growing season to improve crop conditions. The rainfall is helping improve soil moisture and there are hopes for significant snowpack.

Temperatures remained on the warm side again this week. Much of the State was 2 to 6 degrees warmer than average for this time of year. Counties along the eastern border of the State were once again the hottest this week, with temperatures 6 to 10 degrees above average.

According to the United States Drought Monitor for October 21, 2021, 100.0 percent of the State continues to experience drought conditions and the amount of land rated as abnormally dry remains at 2.1 percent. Moderate drought conditions increased 8.9 percentage points from 24.8 percent last week to 33.7 percent this week. Severe drought covered 42.2 percent of the State, a slight decrease from 43.0 percent last week. Extreme drought was present across 22.0 percent of the State, compared to 30.1 percent last week. 

Producers in Lincoln County continue to report hay storage problems, mostly due to elevated hay prices.

Niobrara county received wet snow storms this week that improved livestock water supplies and topsoil moisture; however, subsoil moisture is still reported as very poor for the county.

Although the moisture received this week was welcomed, Big Horn County producers reported the wet fields delayed sugarbeet harvest during the week.

There were similar reports in Platte County of slowed sugarbeet harvest because equipment was unable to get into saturated fields. Platte county producers reported that some corn is now dry enough to harvest for grain.

Sugarbeet harvest is behind last year. Harvest this week was 71 percent complete, compared to 89 percent this time last year.

Corn harvested for grain remains behind last year, with harvest this week reported at 23 percent complete, compared to 74 percent this time last year.

Stock water supplies across Wyoming were rated 20 percent very short, 48 percent short, 31 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus compared to 21 percent very short, 57 percent short, and 22 percent adequate last week.