Powder River Examiner -

A scant 0.08" of moisture was collected at the courthouse weather station in September, marking the fifth driest September on record, since records began in 1920. The lowest amount, 0.04 for the month, fell in September of 1969. The average precipitation for the month in Broadus is 1.18", with a record of 4.59" in September of 2019.

The low moisture total for the month falls in line with the rest of 2021, which has been drier than average across the region. The Broadus station's moisture total for the year was propped up by downpours in May (over 5" of rain) which seemed to miss much of the rest of the region; the moisture total through September 30th was 11.57". Comparing this total to other moisture totals through the area from Jan 1 to Sept 30, the Biddle 8 miles SW station had 6.57", and the Moorhead 9 miles NE station had 7.45"; both of those stations received around half an inch of rain in late September to bolster their totals.

The Biddle station's driest year through September 30th was 1988 with 5.35", while the Moorhead station's driest was last year, with 5.90".

The Sonnette 7 miles SW station has been the driest it has ever been through the first nine months of the year, with 6.60" through September 30th.

The Volborg station has received 8.32" of precipitation this year. That station's lowest total through September 30th was in 2020, when 6.12" was collected.

The Powderville 8 miles NNE station had 9.50" through September 30th; that station's low was in 1988, with 3.60" through the first nine months of the year.

Temperature Records Fall

September was not only dry, it was hot. Broadus saw daily daily maximum temperature records fall, with a reading of 94 recorded on Sept 10th, 94 on the 18th, 91 on the 27th, and 92 on the 28th.

The story at the Biddle 8 miles SW station was much the same, with new records on the same days as Broadus – readings were 98, 96, 92, and 98 on respective days.

Two record highs were recorded at the Moorhead 9 miles NE station, on the 10th with 98, and the 18th with 96.

At the Sonnette 7 miles SW station, four days in September had new record highs this year, with a reading of 94 recorded on the 10th, 94 on the 18th, 91 on the 27th and 92 on the 28th.

The Powderville 8 miles NNE station had four high temp records fall in September – 96 on the 18th, 93 on the 27th, 97 on the 28th, and 93 on the 29th.

Fires

The dry, hot conditions have led to several fires of late, including the Elk Ridge fire at 44 acres on October 3rd, burning 21 miles northwest of Broadus in rough country, a handful of sub 10 acre fires in the last week of September, mostly located in the region of Pumpkin Creek. A lightning caused fire burned up a haystack on September 29th, northwest of Broadus, and a pair of other lightning caused fires prompted the Broadus VFD to respond and quench the flames. Several coal seam caused fires at the south end of the county in mid-September were responded to by the Broadus Volunteer Fire Department. Several of the larger fires in the last month saw Federal assets taking over responsibility, providing air assets, engines, and a hand crew.