Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Preliminary Snow Totals through Tuesday Morning

603 AM MST Tue Nov 29 2016

...Preliminary Storm Information...

Below are snowfall reports from 1 am Sunday through 5 am Tuesday

***** Snowfall Reports *****

Location                              Snowfall

Lincoln County... 
 Commissary Ridge...                 23 inches.
 Spring Creek Divide Snotel...       11 inches.
 Willow Creek Snotel...              11 inches.
 Cottonwood Creek Snotel...          10 inches.
 Indian Creek Snotel...               9 inches.
 Blind Bull Summit...                 9 inches.
 Blind Bull Summit Snotel...          7 inches.
 Kelley Ranger Station Snotel...      7 inches.
 Alpine...                            6 inches.
 Salt River Summit Snotel...          5 inches.
 5 SSE Smoot...                       5 inches.
 2 SE Thayne...                       5 inches.
 3 SE Bedford...                    3.5 inches.
 Hams Fork Snotel...                  3 inches.
 Box Y Ranch...                       3 inches.
 Afton...                           2.2 inches.
Dubois... 1 inch. Atlantic City... 0.5 inches. Park County... Evening Star Snotel... 5 inches. Pahaska... 5 inches. Blackwater Snotel... 4 inches. Beartooth Lake Snotel... 1 inch. Sublette County... Triple Peak Snotel... 9 inches. Snider Basin Snotel... 7 inches. Bondurant... 6 inches. Loomis Park Snotel... 5 inches. Big Sandy Opening Snotel... 4 inches. Pocket Creek Snotel... 4 inches. Gunsite Pass Snotel... 3 inches. New Fork Lake Snotel... 3 inches. East Rim Divide Snotel... 2 inches. Elkhart Park G.S. Snotel... 2 inches. 14 NW Pinedale... 1.6 inches. Larsen Creek Snotel... 1 inch. Pinedale... 0.7 inches. Daniel Fish Hatchery... 0.5 inches. Teton County... Jackson Hole - Rendezvous Bowl... 24 inches. Jackson Hole - Raymer... 22 inches. Jackson Hole - Mid Mountain... 20 inches. Grand Targhee - Chief Joseph... 19 inches. Grand Targhee Snotel... 19 inches. Grassy Lake Snotel... 16 inches. Base Camp Snotel... 12 inches. Phillips Bench Snotel... 11 inches. Snow King... 11 inches. Jackson Hole - Base... 9.5 inches. Snake River Stn Snotel... 9 inches. 3 SSW Wilson... 8.5 inches. Togwotee Mountain Lodge... 8.1 inches. 1 NNW Alta... 8 inches. Togwotee Pass Snotel... 7 inches. 2 NE Teton Village... 6.5 inches. 2 N Moose... 6 inches. Granite Creek Snotel... 5 inches. Jackson Dam... 4.6 inches. Moose... 4.5 inches. Gros Ventre Summit Snotel... 4 inches. Jackson... 3.2 inches. Darwin Ranch... 2 inches. Yellowstone National Park... Lewis Lake Divide Snotel... 8 inches. Two Ocean Plateau Snotel... 5 inches. Sylvan Road Snotel... 5 inches. Parker Peak Snotel... 4 inches. Sylvan Lake Snotel... 4 inches. Thumb Divide Snotel... 2 inches. Lamar Ranger Station... 1.3 inches. Canyon Snotel... 1 inch.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Preliminary Snowfall Totals from late Saturday Night through Monday Morning

Snow
...Preliminary Snowfall Totals from late Saturday Night through
Monday Morning...

Below are snowfall totals from late Saturday night through
Mondaymorning. The heaviest snowfall occurred Sunday afternoon and
evening.

Note: SnoTELS (Snow Telemetry) are remote sensing sites in
highmountain watersheds. Snowfall data from SNOTELS are estimated
basedon snow water equivalent.  


Location                              Snowfall


Lincoln County... 
 Commissary Ridge...                 16 inches.
 Willow Creek Snotel...              10 inches.
 Spring Creek Divide Snotel...       10 inches.
 Cottonwood Creek Snotel...           9 inches.
 Indian Creek Snotel...               7 inches.
 Blind Bull Summit...                 7 inches.
 Blind Bull Summit Snotel...          6 inches.
 Kelley Ranger Station Snotel...      6 inches.
 Alpine...                            6 inches.
 Salt River Summit Snotel...          5 inches.
 5 SSE Smoot...                       5 inches.
 2 SE Thayne...                     4.5 inches.
 3 SE Bedford...                    3.5 inches.
 Hams Fork Snotel...                  3 inches.
 Afton...                           2.2 inches.
 Box Y Ranch...                       2 inches.

Park County... 
 Pahaska...                           5 inches.
 Blackwater Snotel...                 3 inches.
 Beartooth Lake Snotel...             1 inch.

Sublette County... 
 Triple Peak Snotel...                9 inches.
 Snider Basin Snotel...               7 inches.
 Big Sandy Opening Snotel...          4 inches.
 Pocket Creek Snotel...               4 inches.
 Loomis Park Snotel...                4 inches.
 East Rim Divide Snotel...            2 inches.
 New Fork Lake Snotel...              2 inches.
 Elkhart Park G.S. Snotel...          2 inches.
 Gunsite Pass Snotel...               2 inches.
 14 NW Pinedale...                  1.6 inches.
 Larsen Creek Snotel...               1 inch.
 Pinedale...                        0.7 inches.
 Daniel Fish Hatchery...            0.5 inches.

Teton County... 
 Jackson Hole - Rendezvous Bowl...   19 inches.
 Jackson Hole - Raymer...            17 inches.
 Grand Targhee Snotel...             17 inches.
 Jackson Hole - Mid Mountain...      16 inches.
 Grassy Lake Snotel...               16 inches.
 Grand Targhee - Chief Joseph...     14 inches.
 Base Camp Snotel...                 12 inches.
 Phillips Bench Snotel...            10 inches.
 3 SSW Wilson...                    8.5 inches.
 Snake River Stn Snotel...            8 inches.
 Snow King...                         7 inches.
 Jackson Hole - Base...             6.5 inches.
 2 NE Teton Village...              6.5 inches.
 Togwotee Mountain Lodge...         6.1 inches.
 1 NNW Alta...                        6 inches.
 2 N Moose...                         6 inches.
 Togwotee Pass Snotel...              5 inches.
 Granite Creek Snotel...              5 inches.
 Moose...                           4.5 inches.
 Jackson Dam...                     3.3 inches.
 Jackson...                         3.2 inches.
 Gros Ventre Summit Snotel...         3 inches.
 Darwin Ranch...                      1 inch.

Yellowstone National Park... 
 Lewis Lake Divide Snotel...          5 inches.
 Sylvan Road Snotel...                4 inches.
 Sylvan Lake Snotel...                3 inches.
 Two Ocean Plateau Snotel...          2 inches.
 Lamar Ranger Station...            1.3 inches.
 Canyon Snotel...                     1 inch.
 Thumb Divide Snotel...               1 inch.

.WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR STAR VALLEY

213 AM MST MON NOV 28 2016

...MORE SNOW FOR MUCH OF THE WEST TODAY...

.A MOIST WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND BRING
FURTHER SNOW SHOWERS AND SNOWBANDS.

WYZ012-023-024-282300-
/O.NEW.KRIW.WW.Y.0035.161128T0913Z-161129T0000Z/
TETON AND GROS VENTRE MOUNTAINS-STAR VALLEY-
SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...AFTON...ALPINE...STAR VALLEY RANCH...
THAYNE
213 AM MST MON NOV 28 2016

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RIVERTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST
THIS AFTERNOON.

* TIMING...SNOW SHOWERS AND SNOW BANDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY
  BEFORE TAPERING OFF LATE TODAY AND THIS EVENING.

* ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS...2 TO 5 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS...4
  TO 8 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS.

* IMPACTS...ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK WITH SNOWFALL WITH LIMITED
  VISIBILITY AT TIMES. PEOPLE PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD
  BE PREPARED FOR ADVERSE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF SNOW WILL
CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED
AND SLICK ROADS WITH LIMITED VISIBILITIES. SLOW DOWN, AND ALLOW
EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. CHECK THE LATEST ROAD
CONDITIONS AT WYOROAD.INFO OR BY DIALING 5 1 1.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Total snowfall amounts for November 23rd & 24th 2016

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Riverton WY
0119 PM MST Thu Nov 24 2016


...Total snowfall amounts for November 23rd & 24th 2016...

A quick moving system brought snow into western and southern Wyoming
briefly shutting down I-80. Below are the final snowfall reports for
the snow event that took place this Wednesday into Thursday morning.

***** Snowfall Reports *****

Location                              Snowfall 
Lincoln County...
 Willow Creek Snotel...               5 inches.
 Commissary Ridge...                  4 inches.
 Blind Bull Summit...                 3 inches.
 Box Y Ranch...                       3 inches.
 Cottonwood Creek Snotel...           3 inches.
 6 SSE Smoot...                       3 inches.
 Star Valley Ranch...                 2 inches.  
 Blind Bull Summit Snotel...          2 inches.
 Indian Creek Snotel...               2 inches.
 Salt River Summit Snotel...          2 inches.
 Spring Creek Divide Snotel...        1 inch.
 3 SE Bedford...                      1 inch.
 Afton...                           0.4 inches.
Big Horn County... Bald Mountain Snotel... 1 inch. Fremont County... Brooks Lake... 4 inches. St. Lawrence Alt Snotel... 2 inches. Cold Springs Snotel... 1 inch. Deer Park Snotel... 1 inch. Hobbs Park Snotel... 1 inch. Townsend Creek Snotel... 1 inch. Hot Springs County... Johnson County... Cloud Peak Reservoir Snotel... 2 inches. Hansen Sawmill Snotel... 1 inch. Little Goose Snotel... 1 inch. Soldier Park Snotel... 1 inch. 16 NNW Kaycee... 0.6 inches. 7 NE Buffalo... 0.3 inches.
Natrona County...
 10 WSW Casper...                     1 inch.
 5 SSW Casper...                      1 inch.
 11 WSW Casper...                   0.8 inches.
 4 WSW Casper...                    0.7 inches.
 Casper Airport...                  0.6 inches.
 3 WSW Casper...                    0.4 inches.

Park County...
 Chief Joseph...                      7 inches.
 Pahaska...                           2 inches.
 4 ENE Powell...                    0.2 inches.

Sublette County...
 Pocket Creek Snotel...               5 inches.
 Elkhart Park G.S. Snotel...          3 inches.
 Big Sandy Opening Snotel...          3 inches.
 Gunsite Pass Snotel...               3 inches.
 Triple Peak Snotel...                2 inches.
 Kendall Ranger Station Snotel...     2 inches.
 New Fork Lake Snotel...              2 inches.
 14 NW Pinedale...                    1 inch.
 East Rim Divide Snotel...            1 inch.
 Loomis Park Snotel...                1 inch.
 Boulder Rearing Station...           1 inch.

Sweetwater County...
 Green River...                       3 inches.
 Rock Springs...                      3 inches.
 7 SE Rock Springs...               2.7 inches.
 4 NNW Rock Springs...              2.3 inches.
 Rock Springs...                    2.3 inches.
 Rock Springs...                      2 inches.
 Green River...                     1.2 inches.

Teton County...
 Jackson Hole - Rendezvous Bowl...    7 inches.
 Grand Targhee Snotel...              6 inches.
 Grassy Lake Snotel...                6 inches.
 Jackson Hole - Raymer...             6 inches.
 Togwotee Pass Snotel...              4 inches.
 Togwotee Mountain Lodge...           4 inches.
 Jackson Hole - Mid Mountain...       3 inches.
 1 ENE Teton Village...             2.5 inches.
 Phillips Bench Snotel...             2 inches.
 Granite Creek Snotel...              2 inches.
 Base Camp Snotel...                  2 inches.
 Snow King...                         2 inches.
 Snake River Stn Snotel...            2 inches.
 Gros Ventre Summit Snotel...         1 inch.
 Jackson Hole - Base...               1 inch.

Washakie County...
 4 NE Ten Sleep...                    1 inch.
 27 S Ten Sleep...                  0.4 inches.
 5 NNW Ten Sleep...                 0.1 inches.

Yellowstone National Park...
 Tower Falls Ranger Station...        1 inch.
 Lamar Ranger Station...            0.3 inches.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

MORE SNOW ON THE WAY FOR WESTERN WYOMING


...MORE SNOW ON THE WAY FOR WESTERN WYOMING...

.A COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL BRING
MODERATE SNOW TO PORTIONS OF WESTERN WYOMING.


TETON AND GROS VENTRE MOUNTAINS-JACKSON HOLE-STAR VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...JACKSON...AFTON...ALPINE...
STAR VALLEY RANCH...THAYNE
1110 AM MST WED NOV 23 2016

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM MST
THURSDAY...

* TIMING...PERIODS OF SNOW WILL BEGIN BY 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON AND
  CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT BEFORE TAPERING OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT. A
  PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR
  EARLY THIS EVENING.

* TOTAL SNOWFALL...3 TO 6 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS IN
  THE MOUNTAINS; 2 TO 3 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS.

* WIND AND VISIBILITY...SOUTHWEST TO WEST 15 TO 25 MPH.
  VISIBILITY MAY BE REDUCED TO UNDER ONE HALF MILE AT TIMES IN
  SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* IMPACTS...ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK WITH SNOWFALL WITH LIMITED
  VISIBILITY AT TIMES. PEOPLE PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD
  BE PREPARED FOR ADVERSE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF SNOW WILL
CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED
AND SLICK ROADS WITH LIMITED VISIBILITIES. SLOW DOWN... AND ALLOW
EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. CHECK THE LATEST ROAD
CONDITIONS AT WYOROAD.INFO OR BY DIALING 5 1 1.
G 5 1 1.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM MST TUESDAY FOR WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM MST TUESDAY FOR WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS... .A PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE TROUGH MOVING INTO THE WEST COAST WILL SPREAD SNOW INTO WESTERN WYOMING TONIGHT ALONG WITH BRISK SOUTHWEST WINDS OVER THE PASSES. SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT ENDING EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. STAR VALLEY-SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...AFTON...ALPINE...STAR VALLEY RANCH... THAYNE 1216 PM MST SUN NOV 20 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM MST TUESDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RIVERTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM MST TUESDAY. * TIMING...SNOW WILL MOVE INTO LINCOLN COUNTY THIS EVENING INCREASING AROUND MIDNIGHT WITH AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW OVER SALT RIVER PASS. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IS EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT ENDING BY 5 AM MST TUESDAY MORNING. * MAIN IMPACT...SNOWFALL OF 6 TO 12 INCHES IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES IN THE STAR VALLEY. BRISK SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVER THE PASS. POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH SLICK ROADS AND POOR VISIBILITY. * OTHER IMPACTS...PEOPLE PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ADVERSE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED AND SLICK ROADS WITH LIMITED VISIBILITIES. SLOW DOWN, AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. CHECK THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS AT WYOROAD.INFO OR BY DIALING 5 1 1.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Final Snowfall Totals Western Wyoming


Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Riverton WY
0448 AM MDT FRI NOV 18 2016

...Total snowfall amounts around Western and Central Wyoming from
our recent blast or winter weather through Thursday evening...


Location                              Snowfall
Lincoln County...
 5 SSE Smoot...                       6 inches.
 Star Valley Ranch...                 5 inches.
 2 SE Thayne...                     4.5 inches.
 Star Valley Ranch...               2.5 inches.
 3 SE Bedford...                      2 inches.
 Salt River Summit Snotel...          2 inches.
 Afton...                           1.9 inches.
 Kelley Ranger Station Snotel...      1 inch.
 Willow Creek Snotel...               1 inch.
 Spring Creek Divide Snotel...        1 inch.
 Hams Fork Snotel...                  1 inch.
 Cottonwood Creek Snotel...           1 inch.
 Afton...                             1 inch.
 Indian Creek Snotel...               1 inch.
 Kemmerer...                        0.2 inches.
 Fossil Butte...                    0.2 inches.
Big Horn County... Bone Springs Divide Snotel... 12 inches. Bald Mountain Snotel... 10 inches. Hyattville... 9 inches. Shell Creek Snotel... 7 inches. Greybull... 1.2 inches. 2 SSW Lovell... 1 inch. Greybull... 1 inch. Fremont County... Hobbs Park Snotel... 20 inches. Townsend Creek Snotel... 15 inches. 9.5 SW Lander... 15 inches. Cold Springs Snotel... 15 inches. Lander Airport... 13.5 inches. St. Lawrence Alt Snotel... 13 inches. Lander... 11-13 inches. 9 SSE Lander... 12 inches. Little Warm Snotel... 11 inches. 6 SW Lander... 10.2 inches. 7 SE Lander... 8.5 inches. South Pass Snotel... 8 inches. Hudson... 8 inches. Riverton... 7.2 inches. 9 S Lander... 7 inches. 7 WNW Lander... 6.7 inches. Burris... 6 inches. Deer Park Snotel... 6 inches. Burroughs Creek Snotel... 5 inches. Sweetwater Station... 5 inches. Dubois... 5 inches. 2 W Riverton... 5 inches. Riverton Airport... 4.1 inches. Castle Creek Snotel... 4 inches. 6 N Riverton... 4 inches. Brooks Lake... 3 inches. Boysen Dam... 2 inches. Hot Springs County... Owl Creek Snotel... 9 inches. Thermopolis... 7.5 inches. Thermopolis... 7 inches. 9 NE Thermopolis... 6.3 inches. 7 SW Owl Creek... 6 inches. Kirby... 6 inches. Johnson County... Cloud Peak Reservoir Snotel... 14 inches. Hansen Sawmill Snotel... 12 inches. Little Goose Snotel... 11 inches. Soldier Park Snotel... 10 inches. Buffalo... 9 inches. 4 SSW Buffalo... 8 inches. Buffalo... 7.1 inches. 7 NE Buffalo... 6.3 inches. Bear Trap Meadow Snotel... 4 inches. 16 NNW Kaycee... 3.5 inches. Kaycee... 3 inches. Natrona County... Reno Hill Snotel... 11 inches. Casper Mountain Snotel... 6 inches. Grave Spring Snotel... 5 inches. Casper Mountain... 2 inches. Casper... 2 inches. Casper Airport... 1.5 inches. Park County... Marquette Snotel... 16 inches. Blackwater Snotel... 14 inches. Evening Star Snotel... 14 inches. Timber Creek Snotel... 12 inches. 3 NE Sunshine... 10 inches. Beartooth Lake Snotel... 7 inches. Kirwin Snotel... 7 inches. Wolverine Snotel... 7 inches. 5 ESE Cody... 6.2 inches. Pahaska... 6 inches. 26 SW Cody... 6 inches. Younts Peak Snotel... 5 inches. 1 NNW Meeteetse... 4 inches. Cody... 1.5 to 2.2 inches. 4 SE Cody... 2.1 inches. 2 WSW Cody... 2 inches. 4 ENE Powell... 1 inch. 1 ENE Wapiti... 1 inch. Sublette County... Gunsite Pass Snotel... 6 inches. Boulder Rearing Station... 4 inches. Kendall Ranger Station Snotel... 4 inches. Pocket Creek Snotel... 4 inches. Pinedale... 3 inches. New Fork Lake Snotel... 3 inches. East Rim Divide Snotel... 3 inches. Elkhart Park G.S. Snotel... 2 inches. Loomis Park Snotel... 2 inches. Daniel Fish Hatchery... 2 inches. Triple Peak Snotel... 1 inch. Snider Basin Snotel... 1 inch. 14 NW Pinedale... 0.8 inches. Sweetwater County... 2 W Rock Springs... 9 inches. Rock Springs... 8.5 inches. Green River... 7 inches. 4 N Farson... 5.1 inches. 3 NW Green River... 5 inches. 4 NNW Rock Springs... 2.5 inches. 5 N Farson... 2.5 inches. 7 SE Rock Springs... 2.2 inches. Buckboard Marina... 2 inches. Teton County... Gros Ventre Summit Snotel... 11 inches. Grand Targhee Snotel... 9 inches. Togwotee Pass Snotel... 7 inches. Darwin Ranch... 6.5 inches. Jackson Hole - Rendezvous Bowl... 5 inches. Grand Targhee - Chief Joseph... 5 inches. Grassy Lake Snotel... 5 inches. Togwotee Mountain Lodge... 4 inches. 1 ENE Teton Village... 3 inches. Jackson Hole - Raymer... 3 inches. Jackson... 2.5 inches. Base Camp Snotel... 2 inches. Moose... 2 inches. 12 NE Jackson... 2 inches. Snow King... 2 inches. Jackson Hole - Mid Mountain... 2 inches. Snake River Stn Snotel... 2 inches. 1 NNW Alta... 2 inches. Jackson Hole - Base... 1.5 inches. 5 NW Jackson... 1.5 inches. Jackson Dam... 1.1 inches. 3 SSW Wilson... 1 inch. Granite Creek Snotel... 1 inch. Jackson... 1 inch. Phillips Bench Snotel... 1 inch. Washakie County... 4 N Ten Sleep... 10.9 inches. 4 NE Ten Sleep... 10 inches. Ten Sleep... 6 inches. 1 ESE Worland... 5 inches. Winchester... 3.5 inches. Middle Powder Snotel... 3 inches. Powder River Pass Snotel... 3 inches. 8 SW Worland... 3 inches. 16 SSE Ten Sleep... 2.8 inches. Worland... 2 inches. Yellowstone National Park... Parker Peak Snotel... 17 inches. Lamar Ranger Station... 9.3 inches. Two Ocean Plateau Snotel... 9 inches. Sylvan Lake Snotel... 8 inches. Canyon Snotel... 8 inches. Sylvan Road Snotel... 5 inches. Tower Falls Ranger Station... 4.5 inches. Thumb Divide Snotel... 3 inches. Lewis Lake Divide Snotel... 3 inches. Northeast Entrance Ranger Station... 2 inches. Mammoth... 2 inches.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Update Snowfall through Thursday afternoon

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Riverton WY
245 PM MST THU NOV 17 2016


***Snowfall accumulations across Wyoming from Wednesday 
evening through early Thursday afternoon***

Location                              Snowfall

Big Horn County... 
 Bone Springs Divide Snotel...       12 inches.
 Bald Mountain Snotel...             10 inches.
 Shell Creek Snotel...                7 inches.
 Greybull...                        1.2 inches.

Fremont County... 
 Cold Springs Snotel...              15 inches.
 Hobbs Park Snotel...                14 inches.
 Lander Airport...                 13.1 inches.
 St. Lawrence Alt Snotel...          13 inches.
 Sand Draw...                        12 inches.
 9 SSE Lander...                     12 inches.
 Lander...                        10-12 inches.
 Little Warm Snotel...               11 inches.
 Townsend Creek Snotel...            11 inches.
 6 SW Lander...                    10.2 inches.
 Hudson...                            8 inches.
 South Pass Snotel...                 7 inches.
 9 S Lander...                        7 inches.
 7 WNW Lander...                    6.7 inches.
 Burris...                            6 inches.
 Deer Park Snotel...                  6 inches.
 Burroughs Creek Snotel...            5 inches.
 Riverton...                          5 inches.
 Dubois...                            5 inches.
 2 W Riverton...                      5 inches.
 6 N Riverton...                      4 inches.
 Castle Creek Snotel...               4 inches.
 Riverton Airport...                3.8 inches.
 Boysen Dam...                        2 inches.

Hot Springs County... 
 Owl Creek Snotel...                  9 inches.
 Thermopolis...                       7 inches.
 9 NE Thermopolis...                6.3 inches.
 Kirby...                             6 inches.

Johnson County... 
 Cloud Peak Reservoir Snotel...      14 inches.
 Hansen Sawmill Snotel...            12 inches.
 Little Goose Snotel...              11 inches.
 Soldier Park Snotel...              10 inches.
 Buffalo...                           9 inches.
 4 SSW Buffalo...                     8 inches.
 Buffalo...                         7.1 inches.
 7 NE Buffalo...                    6.3 inches.
 Bear Trap Meadow Snotel...           4 inches.
 16 NNW Kaycee...                   3.5 inches.

Lincoln County... 
 Star Valley Ranch...               3.5 inches.
 2 SE Thayne...                       3 inches.
 5 SSE Smoot...                       3 inches.
 Star Valley Ranch...               2.5 inches.
 Salt River Summit Snotel...          2 inches.
 Afton...                           1.9 inches.
 Willow Creek Snotel...               1 inch.
 Spring Creek Divide Snotel...        1 inch.
 Indian Creek Snotel...               1 inch.
 Hams Fork Snotel...                  1 inch.
 Cottonwood Creek Snotel...           1 inch.
 Afton...                             1 inch.
 Kelley Ranger Station Snotel...      1 inch.
 Kemmerer...                        0.2 inches.

Natrona County... 
 Grave Spring Snotel...               5 inches.
 Casper Mountain...                   2 inches.
 Casper...                            2 inches.
 Reno Hill Snotel...                  2 inches.
 Casper Airport...                  1.4 inches.

Park County... 
 Marquette Snotel...                 16 inches.
 Evening Star Snotel...              14 inches.
 Blackwater Snotel...                14 inches.
 Timber Creek Snotel...              12 inches.
 3 NE Sunshine...                    10 inches.
 Wolverine Snotel...                  7 inches.
 Kirwin Snotel...                     7 inches.
 Beartooth Lake Snotel...             7 inches.
 5 ESE Cody...                      6.2 inches.
 26 SW Cody...                        6 inches.
 Pahaska...                           6 inches.
 Younts Peak Snotel...                5 inches.
 1 NNW Meeteetse...                   4 inches.
 Cody...                            2.2 inches.
 4 SE Cody...                       2.1 inches.
 2 WSW Cody...                        2 inches.
 1 ENE Wapiti...                      1 inch.

Sublette County... 
 Gunsite Pass Snotel...               6 inches.
 Pocket Creek Snotel...               4 inches.
 Boulder Rearing Station...           4 inches.
 Kendall Ranger Station Snotel...     4 inches.
 New Fork Lake Snotel...              3 inches.
 East Rim Divide Snotel...            3 inches.
 Pinedale...                          3 inches.
 Loomis Park Snotel...                2 inches.
 Daniel Fish Hatchery...              2 inches.
 Elkhart Park G.S. Snotel...          2 inches.
 Triple Peak Snotel...                1 inch.
 Snider Basin Snotel...               1 inch.

Sweetwater County... 
 5 N Farson...                      2.5 inches.
 4 NNW Rock Springs...              2.5 inches.
 7 SE Rock Springs...               2.2 inches.
 Green River...                       2 inches.
 Green River...                       2 inches.
 Buckboard Marina...                  2 inches.
 Rock Springs...                      2 inches.

Teton County... 
 Gros Ventre Summit Snotel...        11 inches.
 Grand Targhee Snotel...              9 inches.
 Togwotee Pass Snotel...              7 inches.
 Grassy Lake Snotel...                5 inches.
 1 ENE Teton Village...               3 inches.
 Jackson...                         2.5 inches.
 Base Camp Snotel...                  2 inches.
 Snake River Stn Snotel...            2 inches.
 Moose...                             2 inches.
 Phillips Bench Snotel...             1 inch.
 Jackson...                           1 inch.
 Granite Creek Snotel...              1 inch.

Washakie County... 
 4 N Ten Sleep...                  10.9 inches.
 Ten Sleep...                         6 inches.
 1 ESE Worland...                     5 inches.
 Winchester...                      3.5 inches.
 Middle Powder Snotel...              3 inches.
 Powder River Pass Snotel...          3 inches.
 16 SSE Ten Sleep...                2.8 inches.
 Worland...                           2 inches.

Yellowstone National Park... 
 Parker Peak Snotel...               17 inches.
 Two Ocean Plateau Snotel...          9 inches.
 Sylvan Lake Snotel...                8 inches.
 Canyon Snotel...                     8 inches.
 Sylvan Road Snotel...                5 inches.
 Lamar Ranger Station...              5 inches.
 Tower Falls Ranger Station...      3.5 inches.
 Thumb Divide Snotel...               3 inches.
 Lewis Lake Divide Snotel...          3 inches.
 Mammoth...                           2 inches.
 Northeast Entrance Ranger Station... 2 inches.

$$

Preliminary snowfall amounts around Western and Central Wyoming


Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Riverton WY
0518 AM MDT THU NOV 17 2016

...Preliminary snowfall amounts around Western and Central Wyoming
from Wednesday through early this morning...

Location                              Snowfall
Lincoln County...
 Star Valley Ranch                    3 inches
 7 SSE Smoot                          3 inches
 1.5 SE Thayne                        2 inches
 Afton...                             1 inch. 
 Kemmerer...                        0.2 inches.
Big Horn County... Bone Springs Divide Snotel... 8 inches. Bald Mountain Snotel... 7 inches. Shell Creek Snotel... 6 inches. Fremont County... Cold Springs Snotel... 8 inches. Little Warm Snotel... 6 inches. St. Lawrence Alt Snotel... 5 inches. Hobbs Park Snotel... 5 inches. Burroughs Creek Snotel... 4 inches. Riverton NWS Office... 3 inches. Castle Creek Snotel... 3 inches. South Pass Snotel... 2 inches. Riverton... 2 inches. Lander... 2 inches. Townsend Creek Snotel... 2 inches. Deer Park Snotel... 1 inch. Hot Springs County... Owl Creek Snotel... 8 inches. Johnson County... Cloud Peak Reservoir Snotel... 10 inches. Hansen Sawmill Snotel... 8 inches. Soldier Park Snotel... 8 inches. Little Goose Snotel... 6 inches. Park County... Evening Star Snotel... 12 inches. Timber Creek Snotel... 11 inches. Marquette Snotel... 9 inches. Blackwater Snotel... 8 inches. Beartooth Lake Snotel... 6 inches. Kirwin Snotel... 6 inches. Wolverine Snotel... 5 inches. Younts Peak Snotel... 4 inches. Sublette County... Gunsite Pass Snotel... 3 inches. Kendall Ranger Station Snotel... 1 inch. Teton County... Grand Targhee Snotel... 6 inches. Togwotee Pass Snotel... 5 inches. Grassy Lake Snotel... 4 inches. Jackson... 1 inch. Base Camp Snotel... 1 inch. Washakie County... Worland... 2 inches. Powder River Pass Snotel... 2 inches. Yellowstone National Park... Parker Peak Snotel... 12 inches. Canyon Snotel... 8 inches. Sylvan Lake Snotel... 7 inches. Two Ocean Plateau Snotel... 6 inches. Sylvan Road Snotel... 4 inches. Lewis Lake Divide Snotel... 3 inches. Thumb Divide Snotel... 3 inches.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Cold and Snow for Western Wyoming

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
1102 PM MST TUE NOV 15 2016


JACKSON HOLE-STAR VALLEY-SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES-
UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN FOOTHILLS-UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN-
SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...JACKSON...AFTON...ALPINE...
STAR VALLEY RANCH...THAYNE...PINEDALE...LA BARGE...BIG PINEY...
FARSON...KEMMERER...COKEVILLE
1102 PM MST TUE NOV 15 2016

...LIGHT SNOW AND SHARPLY COLDER CONDITIONS DEVELOPING TONIGHT
THROUGH THURSDAY...

LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE OFF AND ON INTO THURSDAY. MOST AREAS WILL SEE 1 TO 3
INCHES WITH THE SALT AND WYOMING RANGES SEEING 2 TO 5 INCHES.

TEMPERATURES WILL TURN SHARPLY COLDER FROM OUR RECENT MILD
TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S AND EVEN 60S. HIGHS BY THURSDAY WILL ONLY
BE IN THE 20S TO LOWER 30S. LOWS FRIDAY MORNING WILL DIP INTO THE
SINGLE DIGITS TO LOWER TEENS. THE COLD AIR WILL REMAIN THROUGH AT
LEAST SATURDAY.

HUNTERS AND THOSE WITH OTHER OUTDOOR INTERESTS SHOULD PREPARE FOR
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS. THOSE PLANNING ON TRAVELLING LATER
WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SHOULD ANTICIPATE SLICK AND SNOW
COVERED ROADS. STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS THROUGH THE
EVENT.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Cloud Seeding in Star Valley and Western Wyoming




 

Cloud Seeding for Increased Snowfall in Star Valley

The Winter of 2017-2018 will be the 6th in which active cloud seeding will be conducted in Star Valley with the goal of enhancing the snow pack over the Salt and Wyoming Ranges. The seeding is being done by Idaho Power out of  Boise ID who provides electricity across Southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon.  

Questions  were submitted about cloud seeding to Idaho Power as it relates to Star Valley.  Derek Blestrud, one of the three Idaho Power  meteorologist, responded with very informative answers.

Following are those questions and answers.

1. How long has Idaho Power been conducting cloud seeding?

 Idaho Power first started looking into cloud seeding in the early 90’s in response to a question from a shareholder.  After an extensive literature and climatology study, Idaho Power first contracted a cloud seeding program in the 96-97 winter seasons in the Payette River Basin north of Boise.  The project was soon suspended due to excessive snowpack.  In 2003, Idaho Power began operating its own cloud seeding project in the Payette River Basin.  In 2008 Idaho Power began working with the High Country RC&D and expanded operations into the Upper Snake Region.  In 2006 the State of Wyoming released the results of a Level II feasibility study evaluating cloud seeding potential in the Salt and Wyoming ranges.  In 2010, Idaho Power working with the Western Wyoming RC&D to build upon Wyoming's feasibility study and began collecting weather data to further evaluate the feasibility of cloud seeding in the Salt and Wyoming Ranges of western Wyoming and began seeding in 2012.


Generators 22, 23, 24 and 25 affect the Salt and Wyoming Ranges directly



2. How much increase in snowfall has been credited to the cloud seeding?


 Determining the benefits of cloud seeding have a lot of variables.  They range from the spatial variations in natural snowpack to the difficulties providing uniform targeting of cloud seeding.  The targeting issue is a function of cloud seeding generator spacing and elevation as well as aircraft operations and storm conditions. Nevertheless, literature shows that a well-run wintertime orographic cloud seeding program can increase precipitation by 5 to 15%.  Using an analysis over the Payette target area since seeding began in 2003 has shown an 11% increase during that time frame.  Using a similar approach to look at the increases in the upper Snake region, there has been an average annual increase of 7.6% for the duration of the project.

Idaho Power has continued to look for better ways to assess cloud seeding.  Since 2011,  Idaho Power has worked with the National Center of Atmospheric Research(NCAR) in developing a computer model to simulate the benefits of cloud seeding.  This past winter, IPC expanded this effort by partnering with a number of universities(including the University of Wyoming) to collect microphysical data of both natural clouds as well as clouds that had been seeded.  This project, titled Seeded and Natural Orographic Wintertime Clouds: the Idaho Experiment(SNOWIE), provided the best physical dataset of the effect of cloud seeding to date. As this data is processed, peer reviewed and ulitimately published, our understanding of the benefits from cloud seeding should be greatly improved.

3. What are the ideal conditions to determine when to begin seeding?

Cloud seeding works best when there is an abundance of supercooled liquid water(SLW) within a storm system and a lack of ice nuclei as well as a wind direction that will provide enough orographic lift to transport the seeding agent into the storm system and areas of SLW.  The most common time that this occurs is when there is a warmer wintertime storm system that is very shallow(does not have the upper cold portion of the cloud to feed ice crystals into the SLW layer).  Silver iodide works best for cloud seeding between the temperatures of -5 to -15°C(23 to 5F) with the sweet spot between -8 and -10°C(18 to 14F). At warmer temperatures, freezing of the SLW is just too slow to produce precipitation increases with silver iodide.  At cooler temperatures, the clouds become adequate in supplying the SLW layer with ice crystals to naturally seed the cloud.

4. How much affect does seeding have on the amount of snowfall in the populated areas of Star Valley vs the adjacent mountains?

The increases in snowfall from cloud seeding in valley locations are minimal.  Cloud seeding relies on the upslope flow of weather systems that are forced up and over a mountain range.  Air that is rising will cool and become saturated, eventually leading to precipitation.  On the downwind side, the air mass then descends and warms, and precipitation is reduced  As a result of this rising and falling air mass the bulk of enhancement from cloud seeding typically falls on the upslope portion of the mountains, especially near the ridgelines.

5. Who are the primary benefactors of the increased snowfall/runoff?

The primary benefactors are anyone that uses or depends upon water.  As a power company, our hydro projects are downstream of numerous users.  We are essentially at the end of the ditch so all others that are higher in the watershed use that water before it gets to us.  To better understand how that additional water benefits groups, follow it downstream. By adding additional snow pack to a watershed, that watershed becomes healthier.  There is more water available for plants and animals. The additional snow on the ground also helps with recreational uses such as snowmobiling, skiing, snowshoeing, etc.  The increased snowpack also supplies additional runoff that provides better habitat for fish and recreational uses along the rivers such as fishing and white water sports.  This additional water is then available for farmers to irrigate crops and for other municipal uses.  The water that is left over then runs through Idaho Powers Hydroelectric generation facilities to create cheap, clean and renewable energy which helps to reduce electricity costs to our consumers.

6. How many meteorologists are involved in the project?

Idaho Power is using 3 internal full time meteorologists as well as 2 contract meteorologist that will be with us through the winter..

7. Are the NWS forecast offices in the area of seeding, Pocatello, Riverton  and Boise,  aware of when the seeding is going to be done so they can incorporate the enhanced snowfall into their forecasts?

On occasion we have worked with the various offices to supply information to them.  We have given them access to some of our operational meteorological equipment, but we do not inform them when we are seeding.

8. I understand that contract soundings are conducted on request at the Afton Airport.
How many times in the course of a winter are these soundings taken and generally what time of day?

We roughly launch between 50-75 sounding per winter season (Nov – Apr).  These soundings are at all times during the day.  The intent is to give us near real time upper air data to support operations. Typically we launch a sounding before, or as the storm arrives, and then every 2-6 hrs during the storm.  This information helps guide operational decisions.  If a storm is fairly uniform, fewer soundings are used, but if the storm is evolving rapidly, we tend to launch more.

9.  How high is data collected?

For the most part, the data that we are interested in is all below 500 mb(18,000 feet).  That said, we have directed our operators to collect data up to 250 mb(34,000 feet) before cancelling the flight as long as the balloon is still gaining elevation.

10.  Are these soundings available to the WFO’s that forecast for the region affected? Also could they be accessed by other interested parties?

In the past we have looked at ways to share the sounding data with the forecasters at each of the National Weather Service offices.  The biggest issue that we run into is that our weather balloons operate with different software than what is used in the NWS.  We have not found an easy way to share the date in a suitable format that the NWS forecasters can use in a timely fashion.

Narrows Cloud Seeding generator #25  view toward Afton



Cloud seeding generator #25 on the east side of the Narrows on the Salt River



Same view of generator #25 from the Salt River near Auburn Bridge



Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Record Wet October much of Western Wyoming




October 2016 was exceptionally wet across Western Wyoming

30 day Precipitation ending November 1 2016

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Very Wet Fall Across Star Valley and Western Wyoming

It has been a particularly wet Fall.  While September experienced well above normal precipitation  across Star Valley and most of western Wyoming, near unprecedented amounts fell in October.

Following are precipitation totals from around the Star Valley area.

Location                  September    October   2 month total  
Star Valley Ranch         3.45          6.07     9.53
1SE Thayne                3.39          5.74     9.13
5SSE Smoot                3.50          6.42     9.92
Willow Creek              4.40         10.20    14.60
Cottonwood Creek          3.40          8.30    11.70
Salt River Summit         2.90          5.50     8.40

The Targhee Ski Resort is the winner in the region where 11.9 inches was measured in October and 16.8 inches for the 2 month period September and October.  As of November 1st 55 inches of snow had already occurred this Fall with 22 inches currently on the ground.

It has been even wetter in the Pacific Northwest.  At the Swift Creek SNOTEL on the south slopes of Mt St Helen in the Cascades of Washington, an incredible 50 inches of rain fell during October.

Here is the 30 day analysis for much of Wyoming and Southeast Idaho.

30 Day Precipitation for much of Wyoming and Southeast Idaho

Morning Snow in Star Valley

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
940 AM MDT TUE NOV 1 2016

WYZ023-024-011900-
STAR VALLEY-SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...AFTON...ALPINE...STAR VALLEY RANCH...
THAYNE
940 AM MDT TUE NOV 1 2016

...A QUICK BOUT OF SNOW ACROSS THE STAR VALLEY AND MOUNTAINS
TODAY...

A QUICK HITTING STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS
THE STAR VALLEY THIS MORNING INTO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WITH 3 TO 5
INCHES IN THE SALT AND WYOMING RANGES. THE STORM WILL START TO
MOVE OFF TO THE EAST LATER TODAY INTO THIS EVENING WITH A CLEARING
SKY AND COLD TEMPERATURES TONIGHT.
Star Valley Ranch Snow Stake