CHEYENNE (AP) - The drought is easing in southern and western Wyoming but will likely persist in northeastern Wyoming, State Climatologist Jan Curtis said.

"Since 2002, we've been slowly improving across the state, except for the northeast corner of the state, where things have gotten worse," he said recently.

Wyoming has been in drought for five years, Curtis said. He predicts western Wyoming will continue to have dry, warm weather for one to two more years, while another two to four years of drought are in store for eastern Wyoming.

The exception is around Cheyenne. Thunderstorms that moved up from Colorado dumped heavy rain on the area this past summer.

"Right now, we're on the verge of coming out of the drought in a fairly strong sort of way," Curtis said. "But droughts are known for coming and going as they please."

He is forecasting average precipitation for the state this winter. But that's a little deceptive, he said.

"To have an average year in Wyoming is unusual; we're usually well above or below long-term averages," he said.

Steve Rubin, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Cheyenne, said his agency is predicting much the same this winter - normal precipitation but above-normal temperatures.

The short-term forecast looks good, Curtis said.

"The forecast for the next two weeks is very interesting - cooler and wetter conditions for most of state," he said. "If that pattern persists, that's a good omen for accumulated snowpack."

Curtis said the drought has cost the state close to $600 million in the last five years, between crops that shriveled and those that were never planted, lost jobs and other effects.

And in spite of the forecast, he is not optimistic about the future.

"I only see things getting worse," he said. "People always look at the sky, but the population creates drought. As population grows, regardless of what climate does, it puts a strain on the system."

The summer of 2004 was the coolest for most of Wyoming since 1993, when the state was under the influence of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, which dropped worldwide temperatures by a degree or two.

Scientists are not sure why the weather was cooler this year, but it has corresponded to the fact that Alaska was exceptionally warm.

"When they're hot in Alaska, we're cool here, and vice versa," Curtis said. "But we don't know why the weather pattern was the way it was."

Some central and western Wyoming reservoirs are showing slow and steady improvement, including Buffalo Bill, Bull Lake and Boysen.

But those on the Platte River are still in serious trouble, particularly Pathfinder and Seminoe, which are nearing record lows, according to John Lawson, Wyoming area manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Snowpack near Walden, Colo., which feeds many North Platte reservoirs, is 89 percent of average for this time of year. Although it's extremely early, he said if that percentage were to persist until March, he'd be very pleased.