The Meeteetse Ice Fishing Derby has been postponed due to weather, pushed back one week to Feb. 20-22.

The tournament, which is Discover Meeteetse's largest fundraiser, was originally pushed back two weeks due to concerns over lack of stable ice. Essentially, it was originally postponed due to nice weather and then the weather got even nicer, forcing it to be moved into the third week of February.

The warm, dry month of December saw average temps in area cities to be shockingly warm, according to the National Weather Service, Riverton Office. In Worland, December temperatures were 17.8 degrees Fahrenheit over the average, rising from the average of 17 degrees to 34.8 degrees. In Riverton, December was 21.9 degrees above average. And at Yellowstone Lake, it was 13.9 degrees above the December average.

Director of the derby Cody Brooke said she was out there this past weekend and that the reservoirs are "fishable," but getting onto the ice means walking through mud unless you bring some planks to span the muddy distance from solid banks to the ice.

"We're going to be relying on the lower temps over the next week to help get this [derby] off the ground," Brooke said.

The derby has sold out for several years, with a limit of 125 three-person teams vying for thousands in prize money. There are also door prizes for gear and goodies at the post-event party at the Elkhorn Bar and Grill, including a raffle to win firearms from the Wall of Guns, sponsored by the National Rifle Association.

Unsafe and inconsistent ice conditions across southwest Wyoming have impacted several winter fishing events this season, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department reported Friday.

The Burbot Bash at Flaming Gorge has been canceled due to safety concerns related to poor ice and projected winds. Participants who registered for this year’s event will be contacted and given a choice for a refund or to have payment carried over for the 2027 tournament, which is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 22-24.

Additionally the Sulphur Creek Fishing Derby at Sulphur Creek Reservoir and Kemmerer Lions Club Fishing Derby at Viva Naughton Reservoir will not be held this year and the Boysen Ice Fishing Derby was canceled late last week due to poor ice conditions.

“This has been an unusually warm winter, and ice conditions across southwest Wyoming have been inconsistent and unsafe,” said John Walrath, Wyoming Game and Fish Department fisheries supervisor in the Green River Region. “While we know these events are important to anglers and managers, public safety comes first. Canceling these derbies was the responsible decision for derby sponsors given current conditions and extended forecasts.”

The National Weather Service forecasts it to be cooler this week, although still above normal temperatures are forecast behind the cold front Tuesday with largely dry weather.

Highs are forecast to be in the low to mid 40s with lows in the teens.

November was the fourth warmest and December was the warmest in the past 107-years of data, according to the Service. On Feb. 4, the Riverton office reported the highest temperature on record for the date of 56 degrees, beating the previous record, set in 2009, by 5 degrees.