The snow-water equivalent in the Wind River Basin rose even higher above median this week due to “continued wet and cool conditions” across the state, according to a report from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The local SWE was 107 percent of median Tuesday, up from 101 percent of median last week and 92 percent of median the week before, the report states.
At the same time last year, the local SWE was 97 percent of median, and in 2020 it was 89 percent of median, according to the report.
Forecast
Wet and cool conditions are expected to continue “through at least the middle of next week,” NRCS hydrologist Jim Fahey said, with “two main rounds of wet weather” over the coming days bringing a total of 1-2 inches of precipitation – or 12-22 inches of snow – “centered along the Wind River and Big Horn mountains.”
“Temperatures will continue to be mainly below normal,” Fahey said. “(They will rise) above normal briefly at the end of the week (then fall) below normal through the middle of next week.”
Fahey said mountain ranges in the north of the state will see minimal snow melt at elevations about 8,000 feet during the next seven days.