Mountains And Moisture: Why Wyoming Stays So Dry

As we creep into 2026, the hot topic around Wyoming hasn't been deep snow totals; it's been the exact opposite. The Cowboy State started the year with about 31% of the state under drought conditions and an additional 34% under abnormally dry conditions. According to Drought.gov, 255,400 Wyomingites are in areas of drought.

READ MORE: Understanding Wyoming Drought Conditions

Normally, when you look at U.S. state rankings, Wyoming falls somewhere in the middle to the bottom half, but I stumbled on a graphic showing the driest states in the U.S., and sure enough, Wyoming is toward the top of that list.

READ MORE: You Can Help Prevent Wyoming Wildfires; Here's How.

Of the 50 states, Wyoming is the third driest state with an annual average precipitation of 12.9 inches. Only Utah and Nevada are drier. Honestly, if you had told me that Wyoming was drier than Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas, I'm not sure that I would've believed you.

According to the World Atlas, Wyoming is so dry because of the mountains on its western side.

That’s mainly because mountains running up the state’s western edge force moist air from the Pacific Ocean to rise, shedding moisture in the form of precipitation along the way. Thus, by the time it reaches most of Wyoming, that air is very dry and carries little precipitation. It’s worth noting that Wyoming has drier and wetter regions: in the west, on the slopes of its mountain ranges, you’ll see far greater precipitation than you will in its rain shadow to the east.

We're just one full month into the year, and we know how fast things can change with the weather in Wyoming, but it's a good idea to keep the possibility of an extra dry year in the back of your mind. Water, wildlife, and wildfires are the three "W" words that become big concerns during dry times.