Warm temperatures, clear skies and still some water that is not running coffee and cream. The time to jump on em’ is now, the temperatures are coming up for awhile, throw in a little rain here and there and runoff will be on it’s way.
Check this chart out! Holy cow, you think late April and early May have been cool? It’s still a couple weeks till we hit what I call the “free zone”, the time of year when the chance of snow diminishes to less than 50%. Of course, how long this snow pack holds up depends on the temperatures and precipitation over the next few weeks but it’s looking at least as good as last year right now.
MONTANA SNOTEL Snow Water Equivalent Update Graph
As of SATURDAY: MAY 16 , 2009
| Basin | Snow Water Equivalent Percent of Average |
| KOOTENAI RIVER BASIN |  112% |
| FLATHEAD RIVER BASIN | 112% |
| UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN |  141% |
| BITTERROOT RIVER BASIN | 119% |
| LOWER CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN | 123% |
| JEFFERSON RIVER BASIN | 136% |
| MADISON RIVER BASIN | 127% |
| GALLATIN RIVER BASIN | 149% |
| MISSOURI HEADWATERS | 137% |
| HEADWATERS MISSOURI MAINSTEM | 159% |
| SMITH, JUDITH, AND MUSSELSHELL RIVER BASINS | 167% |
| SUN, TETON AND MARIAS RIVER BASINS | 123% |
| MISSOURI MAINSTEM RIVER BASIN | 149% |
| ST MARY AND MILK RIVER BASINS |  83% |
| UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN | 130% |
| WIND RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) | 112% |
| SHOSHONE RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) |  109% |
| BIGHORN RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) | 107% |
| TONGUE RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) | 113% |
| POWDER RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) | 109% |
| LOWER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN | 109% |
| Legend: |  <70% |
70-90% |
91-110% |
111-130% |
>130% |
The NOAA climate guys have been pretty much on top of it. Its starting to look a little more seasonable for the next couple weeks according to the forecast and that’s just fine, spring is overdue.
