History: Droughts in Wyoming

History: Droughts in Wyoming

Wyoming has had several droughts through the years, the drought of 1886, followed by a hard winter, brought the an end to the open range cattle era, as cattle died by the thousands across the great plains. As of March, 2026, the Sheridan area is in a severe drought, due in part to the exceptionally warm, dry winter of 2025-26. In this column we will look at two of the droughts, the effect on the ranchers, and what was done to help keep their sto…