We need moisture...

[WYelker]

It is unreal how dry we are in different areas of the state. I travelled through central WY and after today with highs in the 60s there is no snow left in the lower country. Not even many drifts that imped travel. Most of the state is at 80% of average and with current temps predicted in the 50s-60s it will all be melting early.

The ranges were already dry and hurting last summer. I sure hope we get above average moisture to start fixing the issue. On a good note I did not find any winter kill in my ventures this last weekend, and most of the deer looked healthy, but they were in areas higher than normal.

 

[BirdManMike]

Same in much of Montana.

 

[Washington Hunter]

Seems like a good two months left to get a pile of snow still.

 

[BrentD]

It is unreal how dry we are in different areas of the state. I travelled through central WY and after today with highs in the 60s there is no snow left in the lower country. Not even many drifts that imped travel. Most of the state is at 80% of average and with current temps predicted in the 50s-60s it will all be melting early.

The ranges were already dry and hurting last summer. I sure hope we get above average moisture to start fixing the issue. On a good note I did not find any winter kill in my ventures this last weekend, and most of the deer looked healthy, but they were in areas higher than normal.

Are we supposed to guess what state/region you are in? WYelker could be an Iowan that likes to hunt elk and your description of the water issues would be spot on. Or you could be a New Yorker for that matter. It would be nice if you would add your region. If it is Wyoming, it's a kinda big state. Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Let’s just cover all the west.

https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/west_swepctnormal_update.pdf

 

[shrapnel]

Worrying about how much snow or rain you get will only get you higher blood pressure.

Before the fire season of 1988, in Montana and Yellowstone Park, the down timber in the forest was drier than the wood in your household furniture.

There have been dry years and wet years and you can’t do anything about it. It will continue indefinitely, the earth is a closed environment and the same amount of moisture exists year after year and it can’t leave the planet, it just chooses different places to fall.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

central oregon is extreemly dry for this time of year too,,about average rains for the westside of the cascades,,just not alot beyond that eastward.

 

[MarvB]

central oregon is extreemly dry for this time of year too,,about average rains for the westside of the cascades,,just not alot beyond that eastward.

That we are! Maybe something in the next couple of days? The last two “snowfalls” you could have swept up with a broom and dustpan

 

[Southern Elk]

I’m hoping for a wet spring. The lack of snowfall this winter probably saved some animals due to winter kill. There wasn’t much to eat going into the winter.

 

[WYelker]

Are we supposed to guess what state/region you are in? WYelker could be an Iowan that likes to hunt elk and your description of the water issues would be spot on. Or you could be a New Yorker for that matter. It would be nice if you would add your region. If it is Wyoming, it's a kinda big state. Thanks.

Since it was posted in the Wyoming forum and the first 2 initials of my handle are Way. Figured most people would know…

 

[wytex]

I understood your post perfectly.
I was thinking parts of SE were doing ok but only compared to last year.
Some snow fences that had no snow last winter at least caught a little this year. One area we frequent had snow cover off and on all winter but not of much depth.
Irrigation season may be short this summer.

 

[Washington Hunter]

Since it was posted in the Wyoming forum and the first 2 initials of my handle are WY. Figured most people would know…

Plus in your second sentence you said "central WY."

 

[WYelker]

I understood your post perfectly.
I was thinking parts of SE were doing ok but only compared to last year.
Some snow fences that had no snow last winter at least caught a little this year. One area we frequent had snow cover off and on all winter but not of much depth.
Irrigation season may be short this summer.

Yeah the mountains just west of us at sitting over 90% and we are supposed to get more this weekend high, but the lower country is really empty. Luckily they are rounding up the horses and that will help a bunch.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

In general layman perspective, snowfall isn’t all that significant for lowland range conditions. Fall and spring rains make or break your grass.

Snowpack in river basins maintains the in stream flows so fish don’t die.

There was a really good study done at Ft Keough in Miles City in the late 90s I believe that looked at impacts of precipitation timing for range conditions.

 

[88man]

Lots of time for moisture to come this spring as we are still in winter

 

[WYelker]

In general layman perspective, snowfall isn’t all that significant for lowland range conditions. Fall and spring rains make or break your grass.

Snowpack in river basins maintains the in stream flows so fish don’t die.

There was a really good study done at Ft Keough in Miles City in the late 90s I believe that looked at impacts of precipitation timing for range conditions.

To a certain extent I agree. But last year was really interesting. The blizzard we got last year made a ton of difference in the ranges. The line for the storms edge was just this side of Casper and it was crazy the difference in the range condition in 1 mile. On the flip side, the side it is really interesting to see how even yucca plants can grab snow and create a micro area of good growth. However this year right now there is absolutely no snow at all in much of the area, the same areas 2 winters ago had feet. While snotel is looking at the water flow etc. there is really something to be said for snow totals on the lower ranges especially where the wildlife are competing with horses for feed etc. Also there are some resident herds that are very dependent on the lower ranges. For migratory animals not nearly as big of a deal but for resident deer and elk winter snow fall can make a huge difference

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Yes, and that blizzard came at a time when grasses were close to coming out of dormancy, and there wasn’t time for significant sublimation of water content.

 

[88man]

Yes, and that blizzard came at a time when grasses were close to coming out of dormancy, and there wasn’t time for significant sublimation of water content.

Humm????

 

[S-3 Ranch]

I haven’t seen moisture since the blizzard of 2021 in texas

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Humm????

The grasses were about to make use of the moisture in the soil, and since the snow wasn't sitting there all winter sublimating there was relatively more of it that entered the soil column. That was my takeaway anyway.
Sublimation and the Water Cycle