History: Past Open Winters

Most of us who have lived in Wyoming for many years have our stories about bad winters, extremely cold temperatures, deep snows and blizzards. But the nice winters go almost unnoticed. Still, it is nice to look back in time and see that that there were many ‘open winters’ like we are having so far this year.

Not long ago, in 1997, on January 1, a record high temperature in Sheridan was 64 degrees and again in 2020 there was a high temperature of 65 degrees on January 4.

On Jan 14, 1965, Wallace Vannoy, Clearmont rancher, recorded in his journal, “Raining some today. Road pretty slick.” It has to be pretty warm in January to rain instead of snow.

Wind River Mountaineer, December 27, 1907

There are advantage to open winters, other than the fact that the warm, dry weather helps for those who have to commute over Wyoming highways, and the fact that a warmer winter means less heating bills.

It is also easier on livestock, and helps the producer’s bottom line, as we see in this article in The Sheridan Post, April 8, 1904 –Advantages of an Open Winter. Hon. B. B. Brooks said to the Cheyenne Tribune a few days ago that few people realize what this open winter means in dollars and cents to Wyoming. The money saved by small losses and the absence of expenses for feeding represents the real “velvet” or profit in the live stock industry for the present season. It means that hundreds of thousands of dollars will come into the state when stock is marketed, and this surplus will represent “operating capital” in other lines. That is, prospect holes go deeper, irrigation enterprises will be pushed, and the sum total will make a year of substantial progress in Wyoming.

Just as people look for signs, like the woolly worm caterpillar, to predict a hard or an easy winter, there are signs that the winter will be an ‘open winter’ as well.

The Pine Bluffs Post, October 14, 1920, reported – Beavers Fail to Lay in Fats Said to Indicate Open Winter: From The- Denver News – “It’s going to be an open winter, sure as you live.” declared Patrolman C.B. Burr As he walked his beat on 17^th Street. “I got my Information straight from the beavers, and believe em, they know. He continued. “I just got back from a deer hunting trip into Hell’s Hole, near Idaho Springs. There are a lot of beaver dams up in the mountains in the section, and I took the trouble to investigate most of them.

The beavers have laid up mighty little in the way of food supply. In fact, that they have not stored much as yet indicates as plain as print that we are to have a mild winter.

“All I hope is that it brings the price of coal down,” concluded Patrolman Burr.

And from The Riverton Review, December 13, 1922 –An Open Winter Wyoming editors who are in the act of subsisting on snowballs in the wintertime will regret to learn of the ninny signs for an open winter in Montana that have been brot to attention of the people in that state by the Miles City American. It cites some of the reasons: 1. Beavers are building their winter quarters close to the edges of streams. 2. Muskrats have not finished their winter homes but have been loafing all fall. 3. Prairie dogs have not banked up the entrances to their dens with earth. 4. Fur bearing animals of all kinds have lighter coats. 5. Migratory birds are still seen in many parts of the state 6. Trees and bushes this fall lost their loaves early. 7 Corn husks are exceptionally light this year.

Of course, like any predictions, they sometimes fail.

The Riverton News, January 1, 1910

Frontier Auto Museum, Gillette.

Today, we tend to travel in most weather, but in 1919, cars were not as reliable as they are today.

This from The Casper Daily Tribune, March 6, 1919. – The open winter we are having this year is having a big effect on auto mobile business, according to the B. F. Goodrich Rubber Co. Tire business is keeping up this winter without a single lull. It is difficult for tire manufacturers to keep pace with the demand. Usually, this time of year is exceptionally slow in the auto accessory trade. Open winter conditions especially as contrasted with last year, have kept a big proportion of automobiles running. More cross state touring is reported this winter than ever before in the history of the motor car industry. Of course, this is directly due to the absence of snow-bound highway! We all remember that during December, January and February of last year there were very few days the roads were not clogged with snow, ice and slush. Just how long this condition will continue cannot be predicted, but every day past is a day nearer Spring and dealers in cars, tires and accessories, are rolling up sales with totals never before heard of in the winter.

And, construction can continue during an open winter as it cannot with snow and blizzards and extreme cold.

The Wyoming Industrial Journal, December 1, 1907

Livestock producers like open winters. It means less expense in feeding hay, and less problems created by blizzards and deep snows. Well-fed livestock have fine, healthy offspring.

Sheridan Post, February 8, 1900

Wildlife, too, do better with less deep snow and extremely cold temperatures. In the winter of 2022-23, antelope in the Pinedale area suffered terrible die-off, because of the stress of the harsh winter and a rare bacterial pneumonia disease.

Of course, open winters are not always a good thing. People worry about the snowpack on the mountains, which feeds the lower elevations lakes and streams. Like this story from the Semi-Weekly Enterprise, February 25, 1908 – Plenty of Time Yet for Snow – Along about this season, following an open winter such as we have experienced this year, people begin to look at the mountains and shake their heads at the lack of snow for summer water. It is entirely too early to Commence to get scared; we have ample time for a proper amount of snow, and in nine cases out of ten we get it. These balmy spring days we all enjoy give rise to this pessimistic and untimely view, but it is safe to say that we are not far enough away from the snow period to be alarmed over the situation. After March has passed it will be time enough to begin to worry, let us be cheerful until we are at least reasonably certain we have some cause for alarm.

And some farmers depend on the winter snow and cold for their crops. Winter wheat is one crop that depends on the cold winter temperatures and the snow cover. Fruit trees can also be vulnerable, as in the story from the Basin Republican, May 5, 1911 – J. Stant Brown, of lonia, one of the most practical fruit men In the state, was in town Wednesday and in regard to fruit prospects for the coining season said, “The open winter has destroyed a large number of the fruit buds and the crop the coming season will not be large. I look, however, for a fair crop and the fruit will be of excellent quality. An open winter with warm spells of weather is not good for the fruit as the buds expand when it is warm and then contract during the cool nights and soon the buds are killed.

Some winter activities have to be canceled when there is no snow. Ski resorts suffer, and in February of 2022, the winter rodeo in Sheridan was canceled due to lack of snow.

Of course, like this in The Guernsey Gazette, December 29, 1905 all the signs really mean very little if it….

We can all enjoy the warm weather while it lasts, and, like the above article stated, “Each warm day gets us one day closer to Spring.”