Is Wyoming still considered a desert state? With the recent influx of rainfall this summer, many are asking that exact question and more. How has this rain affected the people of Wyoming?
According to Cowboy State Daily, Cheyenne has had over 17 inches of rain this year so far which definitely outweighs the average rainfall of 12 inches per year. With this average precipitation, local farmers have had a hard time planning out their harvests.
“You have to get [hay] up as soon as you can so the rain doesn’t get on it,” sophomore Weston Ayotte said. “The timeframe from when you cut it to when you bail it is about two days, and it has to be dry. Everyone got a little bit of rain on their hay. Some people got it really bad and some hay was black, so they couldn’t make any money off it.”
These stormy days don’t only affect the people on the ground, but also the people of the sky. Private Pilot Sam Belmont has had a hard time getting in his flight hours to become a Comercial-One Pilot.
You have to get [hay] up as soon as you can so the rain doesn’t get on it. The timeframe from when you cut it to when you bail it is about two days, and it has to be dry. Everyone got a little bit of rain on their hay. Some people got it really bad and some hay was black, so they couldn’t make any money off it.
— sophomore Weston Ayotte
“The rain has prevented me from flying many times and it’s not good because I need to fly as much as possible to advance in my career,” Belmont said. “I hope the rainy weather will last when I don’t need to fly or do anything outside.”
Outside sports have also had a difficult time with nature showers. If lightning strikes, they can’t practice what they love to do and the rain can make a slippery slope of their territory.
“One thing annoying about the rain is it makes running on our dirt roads more of a challenge,” junior cross country runner Kenna Jacobson said. “It feels like you’re running with ankle weights. Also getting pelted in the face with rain while you’re running can be a bit of a challenge.”
Tennis players have had an openly negative attitude towards this wet weather. After a weather delay for State Tennis, bitterness has flown through the athletes.
“I really don’t like the rain that much,” senior tennis player Keegan Hicswa said. “Especially during tennis season because it prevents us from being able to play. We’re not even allowed to be on the courts when it is raining because it’s slippery…it just makes it impossible to play tennis. The rain prevented us from going to state tennis because it got postponed…canceled a couple of practices so now it’s just a pain.”
Even though there have been many downsides to this extra precipitation, there have also been known advantages to the abundance of rain.
I really don’t like the rain that much. Especially during tennis season because it prevents us from being able to play. We’re not even allowed to be on the courts when it is raining because it’s slippery…it just makes it impossible to play tennis. The rain prevented us from going to state tennis because it got postponed…canceled a couple of practices so now it’s just a pain.
— senior tennis player Keegan Hicswa
“[The rain] was really good because there was a lot of growth,” Ayotte said. “We usually do two cuttings, but this year we could get a third cutting… alfalfa has been really good this year. I think it’s good. It helps with just about everything. Except for corn.”
Some have looked at the upsides to this change in weather because of how it makes you feel.
“I like the rain because it changes the atmosphere around people,” Belmont said. “It makes everyone appreciate things more, like the building you’re in, the jacket you’re wearing, the bed you sleep in. People don’t usually think about those things until the weather changes. I like the cozy feeling you get when it does rain. The rain smell you get during and after the rainfall has stopped. The beauty you can capture during a storm and the luscious greenery and flowers that appear after.”