Wind River Range Snowpack

[Mary D]

Evidently Wyoming's Wind Rivers (downwind of the PNW) are having the same late-melting snowpack issues we are in the Northwest. I found this article in "Pinedale Online" (http://www.pinedaleonline.com/pinedalelocal.htm#snow). Except for the names, they could be talking about the Cascades!

"The late snowmelt has produced feverish cabin fever in some who are aching to get outdoors and start hiking and exploring the backcountry. Most of the secondary roads are still either covered in snow or still closed because they are still too soft to drive on. All of the major trailheads are still inaccessible due to late spring snow, and the access roads are still closed. This includes the Upper Green, Elkhart Park and Big Sandy in the Wind River Range, and Horse Creek, the Cottonwoods and Greys River in the Wyoming Range. During our drought years, the high country passes of the Wind River Range have usually opened up by the 4th of July. This year the high country trails may not melt out until mid-to late July."

Todays' snowpack update, http://www.wrds.uwyo.edu/wrds/nrcs/snowprec/snowprec.html, shows the Wind River basin (east side) at 145% of normal and the upper Green River basin (west side) at a whopping 192% of normal.

Ah, well, back to the Columbia River Gorge!

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