snow

This winter season has been a deadly one for avalanches. Many of those avalanches were caused by a single type of snow condition known as a deep persistent slab, which is dangerous and hard to predict. New research may help with that.

After noting that certain regions appear to be responding to climate change differently than others, Amato Evan, an associate professor of climate science at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, decided to try to tease out the cause.

He looked at snowmelt, which seemed to be an obvious casualty of a heating climate. But his research shows that snow in certain areas of the western United States is likely to stay put.

According to a recent report, most of Wyoming snowpacks are below average, with the majority seeing anywhere from just 70 to 89 percent of the 30-year median average. Only the Yellowstone and Shosone basins in the Northwest are close to average.

Climate change may make snowpack in the coming years smaller and force it to melt earlier in the year.

Besides a very early snowstorm right after Labor Day, the state hasn't seen as much snow as it usually does in fall and early winter. So far in 2020, Wyoming is far below average in snowpack levels.

Last week's unusual September snowstorm wasn't great for plants.

Assistant Extension Educator for Horticulture at University of Wyoming Donna Hoffman said there are a lot of broken branches on trees, and flowers that were not protected are probably done growing for the season.

Outlier weather events are growing more common globally, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in the Bridger-Teton National Forest is no exception.

Much of the Mountain West saw record breaking snowfall last year which was great news for the mountain resort industry. This year's snowfall may be less intense. 

A massive winter storm that will continue overnight has dumped over a foot of snow in some places and drifts even higher. Local law enforcement agencies said snow accumulations, icy roads and strong winds have contributed to a number of accidents and many communities are asking residents to stay off the roads.  

Chris Jones of the National Weather Service in Riverton said the storm lived up to expectations with the storm focused on the eastern half of the state.