snowpack

Despite storms, Wyoming could still face summer water shortages

Rebecca Martinez — Wed, 08 May 2013 23:41:52 +0000

Last year’s drought could impact the Wyoming water supply this summer.

The National Weather Service says that, although recent storms have helped replenish mountain snowpack, there might not be enough to get back to normal levels of runoff, which is state’s most common water source for crops and municipalities.

NWS Hydrologist Jim Fahey says that’s because the upper soil levels were parched by the drought and will likely absorb much of the runoff. Fahey says this could become especially problematic for some people during the summer months.

Wyoming might get average levels of precipitation this summer

Luke Hammons — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:02:55 +0000

Recent snow storms have brought Wyoming’s level of precipitation back to normal for the month. That’s compared with April of last year– preceding the largest drought in history–when Wyoming was at 66% of average.

The Belle Fourche River Basin has the highest level of precipitation in the state at 300% of average. And the Sweetwater Basin has the statewide low at 81%.

Ken Von Buettner is a hydrologic technician for the Natural Resources Conservation Council. Von Buettner is optimistic about having a summer with normal levels of precipitation.

2013 Snowpack Forecast Just Short of Average

Sara Hossaini — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:14:53 +0000

Wyoming’s snowpack is roughly 20% lower than it was at this time last year. It’s currently at 83% of what is considered normal. But state water supply specialist Lee Hackleman says forecasts indicate that 2013 will be a “neutral year”, meaning we may end up with only slightly below average snowpack going into the summer.

Dry weather could lead to hay shortage

Willow Belden — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:41:03 +0000

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is warning that the warm, dry weather this spring could drive up winter hay prices.

Wyoming’s snowpack is less than 30 percent of average, and Water Supply Specialist Lee Hackleman says farmers who get their water by diverting streams and rivers will be left high and dry.

“There’ll be a lot of people who will probably get their first cutting irrigated but won’t have any water for their second cutting,”
Hackleman said. “So there’s liable to be a hay shortage again this winter.”

Wyoming Snowpack Improves

Bob Beck — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:45:39 +0000

A water supply specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service says recent snowfall has improved the snowpack in the state. Lee Hackleman says snowpack is 92 percent of normal statewide after sitting at 80 percent earlier this month.

“The whole state went up this last week,” says Hackleman. “Some areas went up quite a bit more, like around the Wind rivers and up around the Park, they significantly went up there. But even in the southern part of the state where we didn’t get as much,they still went up.”

Experts predict below average runoff in Wyoming

The Associated Press — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:48:48 +0000

Early predictions by federal hydrologists foresee below average mountain runoff in Wyoming this year because of a dearth of snow so far this winter.

Based on current snowfall in the mountains, hydrologists estimate that Wyoming's runoff this year will be about 81 percent of average.

The U.S. Agriculture Department's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Casper released its first spring runoff estimate on Tuesday. The agency will issue additional estimates into June.