PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
819 AM MDT FRI OCT 2 2009

..2008-2009 WATER YEAR IN REVIEW...

THE 2008-2009 WATER YEAR STARTED ON OCTOBER 1 2008 AND ENDED ON
SEPTEMBER 30 2009. HERE IS A LOOK AT THE PRECIPITATION TOTALS AND
NORMALS FOR BILLINGS...MILES CITY AND SHERIDAN. NORMALS ARE 30
YEAR AVERAGES CALCULATED FROM 1971 TO 2000. RECORDS STARTED BEING
RECORDED FOR BILLINGS IN 1934...MILES CITY IN 1937 AND SHERIDAN IN
1934.

..BILLINGS...

THE NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR A WATER YEAR IN BILLINGS IS 14.77
INCHES. BILLINGS RECEIVED 11.96 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IN THE
2008-2009 WATER YEAR...WHICH WAS 2.81 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS
THE 9TH YEAR OUT OF THE LAST 10 YEARS THAT THE WATER YEAR
PRECIPITATION WAS BELOW NORMAL. SINCE 1999...THE ONLY YEAR THAT
WAS ABOVE NORMAL WAS THE 2006-2007 WATER YEAR...WHICH NETTED 16.86
INCHES.

..MILES CITY...

THE NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR A WATER YEAR IN MILES CITY IS 13.73
INCHES. MILES CITY RECEIVED 11.57 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IN THE
2008-2009 WATER YEAR...WHICH WAS 2.16 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS
THE 4TH YEAR IN A ROW AND 8TH YEAR OUT OF THE LAST 10 YEARS THAT
THE WATER YEAR PRECIPITATION WAS BELOW NORMAL. THE LAST TIME THE
WATER YEAR WAS ABOVE NORMAL WAS IN 2004-2005...WITH 13.97 INCHES.

..SHERIDAN...

THE NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR A WATER YEAR IN SHERIDAN IS 14.72
INCHES. SHERIDAN RECEIVED 13.50 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IN THE
2008-2009 WATER YEAR...WHICH WAS 1.22 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS
THE 6TH YEAR OUT OF THE LAST 9 YEARS THAT THE WATER YEAR
PRECIPITATION WAS BELOW NORMAL. THE MOST RECENT YEAR THAT WAS
ABOVE NORMAL WAS THE 2007-2008 WATER YEAR...WHICH NETTED 15.88 INCHES OF
PRECIPITATION.

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service
Billings Weather Forecast Office
2170 Overland Avenue
Billings, Montana 59102-6455

Tel: (406)652-0851