Snow Pack Off to a Good Start in Western Wyoming

Scene from Star Valley Ranch in the wake of Weekend Snowfall.

While officially Winter is still a week away and the important snowfall season is still ahead, it is instructive  to look at the current snowpack conditions across Wyoming and the Western States.  The highlight is that most of the west has a weak start to the snowpack with the exception of Western Wyoming.

Following is a map of the state of snowpack over the west.

Dec 16 2014 SWE % of Normal

Much of western Wyoming is the exception with generally above normal  SWE.

Wyoming SWE % of Normal December 16 2014

In Star Valley the two important SNOTEL sites  are Cottonwood and Willow Creek.

Cottonwood SNOTEL  as of December 16,2014 is running well above normal for the water year beginning Oct 1st.

Cottonwood Creek SNOTEL

Willow Creek SNOTEL is also running above normal.

Willow Creek SNOTEL

For comparison purposes  for the period of October 1-December 16 2014 the  52 inches of snow measured at Star Valley Ranch is close to the 50 inches for the same period last winter.