FYI-Spring flooding in MT
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For those of you planning summer trips to MT east of the divide, be aware that the NWS is already predicting heavier than normal runoff this spring. http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?wfo=tfx&sid=TFX&pil=ESF
Our snowpacks http://www.wrds.uwyo.edu/wrds/nrcs/updatesur/update-mt.html are already well above normal.
What that means is good water levels for fall fish, but probably a late start to summer fishing on the big rivers. No one knows when runoff will start, but several knowledgeable outfitters have already told me they won’t expect the Yellowstone to be fishable until mid July.
How many days are left to increase to the snowpack?
The average morning low for Livingston does not get above freezing until May.
Peak snowpack varies from April 1-May 1 depending on location. High mountains (Absarokas) peak late, while the western and NW parts of the state peak early.
It is unlikely at this point we’ll be low, but I make no concrete predictions about how high we’ll be until after mid-May, when we know if there’s a weak of summer early that blows things out. An 85-90 degree week in early May at low elevation can happen, and it guts the snowpack.
Here are very preliminary predictions for YNP and surrounding area if everything runs near average from here out: http://www.parksflyshop.com/news.html
Also, the long range NOAA outlooks suggest a transition to warm and dry for summer. So it’s a good thing we’ve got plenty of snow. Actually, that’s always a good thing. I’ll take the Yellowstone right to the edge of the willows until mid-August over getting on it on June 20 anytime.
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