Flood Watch for the Wind River Basin and Lander Foothills

While Star Valley is expected to receive substantial amounts of precipitation over the next couple of days, the area around the Wind River Mountains are at risk for serious runoff from heavy rain and snow melt. The Riverton Forecast Office has issued the following Flood Watch to this effect.

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
923 PM MDT THU MAY 5 2016

...HEAVY RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON MAY CAUSE
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS OVER THE OWL CREEK AND
BRIDGER MOUNTAINS...ALONG THE LANDER FOOTHILLS...AND ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN END OF THE WIND RIVER BASIN...

.RAINFALL WILL START ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE BIGHORN BASIN
AND INTO THE WIND RIVER BASIN AND ALONG THE LANDER FOOTHILLS BY
FRIDAY AFTERNOON...INCREASING IN INTENSITY BY FRIDAY EVENING
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. RAINFALL...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING ARE FORECASTED TO BE 2 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED
AREAS ALONG THE LANDER FOOTHILLS OF UP TO 4 INCHES.

SNOW LEVELS WITH THIS EVENT WILL START OUT ABOVE 10000 FEET
FRIDAY AFTERNOON...DROPPING TO AROUND 8500 FEET BY SATURDAY MORNING.

RAINFALL RUNOFF AND SNOWMELT RUNOFF WILL COMBINE FORCES SATURDAY
MORNING TO CAUSE RAPID RISES OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS ALONG
THE LANDER FOOTHILLS AS WELL ALONG THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE
SOUTHERN WIND RIVER BASIN AND THROUGH WIND RIVER CANYON. SMALL
STREAMS AND CREEKS ARE EXPECTED TO RUN AT HIGH LEVELS THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING. ADDITIONALLY...MUD SLIDES AND ROCK FALL WILL BE AN
ISSUE IN CANYON AREAS...ESPECIALLY THROUGH WIND RIVER CANYON.


WIND RIVER BASIN-LANDER FOOTHILLS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RIVERTON...SHOSHONI...LANDER
923 PM MDT THU MAY 5 2016

...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH
SUNDAY AFTERNOON...

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* A PORTION OF CENTRAL WYOMING...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...
   LANDER FOOTHILLS AND WIND RIVER BASIN.

* FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON

* HEAVY RAIN LEADING TO EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT RUNOFF
  WILL CAUSE RAPID RISES IN SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.