First WY Snowpack Numbers Report Of 2023 Show High Numbers

The first half of the winter 2022-23 season has been a snowy one in the Big Horn Mountains, and the first snowpack numbers of the season show it.

As of February 1st, the Tongue River and Clear Creek drainage areas are between 112 and 113 percent of the 30-year average, and both are at 132% compared to this time last year.

State-wide the Powder River drainage area is at 111%.

Only 2 drainage areas in the Cowboy State were below 100% of the 30-year average.

The Yellowstone area was at 96% and the South Platte River area, which includes the city of Cheyenne, was at 72%.

Andrew Cassiday is the District Conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

He says many people like to use the snowpack numbers as a barometer for things such as the upcoming irrigation, flooding and fire seasons.

He adds these are only the first numbers of the season, and many more readings will take place between now and the end of May.

Even if the numbers stay consistent throughout the winter and spring, don’t read into it too much, because the numbers can sometimes be mis-leading.

“A good snow year means things probably are not going to be as dry, but it also means that our fuel loads maybe a little higher, because we’re doing things like growing a bunch of grass, where we wouldn’t be in a heavy drought year, so it kind of cuts both ways. Flooding is a mixed bag. We could be high on snowpack and not have significant flooding, if it comes off slow and steady, or we could be low on snowpack and have flooding, and cause damage, if we get the right combination of things.”

Cassiday says as far as the Tongue River and Powder River drainage areas go, the numbers usually don’t represent the lower elevation areas such as eastern Sheridan and Johnson Counties, but from what he’s seen so far, those areas have had pretty good snow cover compared to the past few years.