Roger Pielke Sr. passes this on to me with the note:
Hi Anthony, This is quite unusual! Source: NWS, Riverton, WY
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 309 AM MDT SAT AUG 15 2009 ...LATE SUMMER SNOWSTORM EXPECTED FOR THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS TODAY... .AN UNSEASONABLY EARLY SNOWSTORM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9000 FEET TODAY AS A STRONG PACIFIC TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKS EAST ACROSS THE AREA... WYZ008-009-151800- /O.NEW.KRIW.WW.Y.0030.090815T1500Z-090816T0000Z/ BIGHORN MOUNTAINS WEST-BIGHORN MOUNTAINS SOUTHEAST- 309 AM MDT SAT AUG 15 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 9000 FEET... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RIVERTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9000 FEET WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING. RAINFALL ALONG WITH A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO SNOW ABOVE 9000 FEET BY 9 AM. SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ALONG WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES AT 9000 FEET ALONG WITH UP TO 6 TO 7 INCHES AT 10000 FEET. ISOLATED EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHICH COULD CAUSE LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF SNOWFALL. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES WHILE DRIVING OVER GRANITE AND POWDER RIVER PASSES TODAY...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. CAMPERS AND HIKERS SHOULD PREPARE FOR DRAMATICALLY COLDER AND WET WEATHER TODAY. && $$ LIPSON
There are people like myself who have lived, worked and-survived the vagaries
of the harsh western climate.Who contribute to this weblog.What we have the temerity to say is we by the nature of nature around us, we see NO warming.
It is, infact, getting colder. Record lows are occuring,trees are turning, and an early-not EL Niño fall and winter are possible.All the while the Sun is snoring away…
Thanks, Anthony for these little titbits of non-warming..
Leland Palmer (05:58:35) :
Wyoming is in the midst of the largest mountain pine beetle infestation in history.
So is Colorado, though it is not the largest in history, it is the largest in the last few hundred years.
This appears to be a direct result of climate change, which is the supposed subject of this blog.
No, it is a result of a recurring cycle:every 400 years according to the last Forest Ranger I spoke with. He was part of the mitigation effort at Long’s Peak, near Rocky Mountain National Park. His job was to help clear the infected trees. I’m going to trust he knows more than some hyperventilating web denizen.
How can an unseasonable snow storm, which is weather, not climate, be more important to talk about than millions of acres of dead trees, arguably directly linked to climate change?
Nobody I know that deals with these things argues it is a result of climate change, so I’m not sure how you get the word “arguably” into that sentence. Even Wikipedia puts “no support” in parentheses after the statement linking climate change to an increase in the size of the outbreak and their only claim to it being “10 times larger than previous outbreaks” is a link to a news article that provides no references.
The beetles themselves do not kill the trees, btw.
Mark
Mark T (10:57:39)
“a result of a recurring cycle:every 400 years according to the last Forest Ranger I spoke with”
How do they know it’s a 400 year cycle? More than 200 years or so, and your into the “pre-historical” era in the Rockies. And why would it be 400 years? Lodgepole pine only live about 100 years and the catastrophic fire cycle is about that long too. And actually, rangers are law enforcement personnel – perhaps you spoke to a naturalist or seasonal forest worker?
We have lots of bug killed trees on our place which are now mature, after the area burned in the late 1800s, and unprecedented spruce bud worm on the doug-fir. After about a decade of dry hot summers and mild winters, we’re hoping this relatively wet and mild summer might help. Still don’t have conditions like the 1970s, when I used to hunt frogs in a couple of ponds – those ponds are still dry this year, but decent spring flow.
Jakers, Douglas DC, et al.
Was through Red Lodge yesterday. Light flurries on the Beartooth pass to the south with temps of 38 F. Yesterday was the second time we had snow on the peaks – this time down into the trees – in the last two weeks in the Absoroka Range (west of the Big Horns). We had our last snow in the valley (4″ at 5800′) on June 8th. The old timers say it’s reminiscent of back in the 70s (when we were warned about “the coming Ice Age”).
We have a good laugh about the Pine Bark Beetle and how it’s prospering because it doesn’t get cold enough anymore. They don’t seem to mind -30 F. with temps not rising above 0 F. for days and days. But they live in Wyoming, so they gotta’ be tough! Maybe the saying “Cowboy up!” will be changed to “Beetle up!”
Anthony – thanks for all you do!
Jakers (11:52:31) :
How do they know it’s a 400 year cycle? More than 200 years or so, and your into the “pre-historical” era in the Rockies. And why would it be 400 years? Lodgepole pine only live about 100 years and the catastrophic fire cycle is about that long too.
Ponderosa pines live much longer than that, and they constitute a very large proportion of the pine trees in CO (and, I would assume, WY.) Otherwise, I don’t know why, that’s just what he said.
And actually, rangers are law enforcement personnel – perhaps you spoke to a naturalist or seasonal forest worker?
No, I spoke with a Forest Ranger, gun and all. They have other duties besides law enforcement. It was October of last year, btw, so the only “officials” around were Rangers (the camp hosts only work through Labor Day.)
He almost gave us a ticket for using wood that had been cut. They are cutting infected trees and selling them as firewood (which guarantees the larvae are dead) to help fund the mitigation effort. Since we were considerate enough to ask, and since the cut wood was actually in the campsites (it is sort of ambiguous on the “gathering” concept when wood is lying next to a fire pit,) he was nice enough to forego the ticket provided we didn’t burn anymore wood. Phew! $500 fine minimum as I recall.
After about a decade of dry hot summers and mild winters, we’re hoping this relatively wet and mild summer might help. Still don’t have conditions like the 1970s, when I used to hunt frogs in a couple of ponds – those ponds are still dry this year, but decent spring flow.
They expected the exceptionally cold winter of 2008 to help, too, but it didn’t. Climate seems to only be a bit player in that regard. We did get snowed on, btw. I expected to wake up knifed ceremoniously in the back by my wife when we got up on the last day with six inches of snow on the ground. 🙂
Mark
Leland Palmer (15:14:26) :
Climate models and climate scientists also predict increased variability in weather with AGW.
Yes, and how very convenient for them! Whatever happens, it’s because of AGW. And they have the audacity to call it science!
Retired Engineer (07:44:27) :
I thought it was 14,115.
The official is now listed as 14115, but the sign at the top said 14110 the last time I saw it.
We’re doomed.
Since you seem to live here, too, perhaps we should start an investment company specializing in ocean-front property… in Woodland Park! 🙂
No snow on PP now. (I can see it out my window)
It’s there, but only on the back side now (you can see it from Woodland Park/Divide.)
Never broke 90, some days not over 80. And very wet.
I think we actually hit 90 twice out west of Powers. I’m not quite in Falcon, but I still call it West Kansas, hehe. I’m saving big-time on AC this summer, but taking it in the Kahones on water. That was the good thing about the restrictions: I wasn’t allowed to spend myself into oblivion for green grass.
Mark
Nathaniel (11:57:02) :
Spent a lot of time in the Beartooths-mostly trying to figgure out a way to make out of the Hellroaring drainage without crashing.Brings back memories..
Notably the little Rosebud fire…
Historical first snow here in the Denver Metro area is in the first week of September, (only 3 weeks away currently). It will be interesting to watch the snow season develop as this summer we have come very close to having snow conditions even in mid summer. Minimum night time temps have tipped into the 40’s on 14 days June through mid-August so far this summer. It got down to 41 deg F minimum on June 8, 2009, and 43 deg F on June 12. Yesterday the daytime high (Aug 17), was 74 deg F, with a night time low of 47 deg F. That puts the night time freezing level only about 2000-3000 ft elevation above the Denver Metro area at night.
These unseasonably cold days in both June and August have been reminiscent of typical weather you might expect in late September, or late April here.
It will be interesting to see when first snow comes to the Metro area, and first highway pass closure due to snow comes this year. I spent the previous week out at the Bonneville Salt flats for speedweek and the first two days there you needed a jacket which is very unusual for that area this time of year. Normally tempeartures are in the high 90’s and low 100’s this time of year instead of in the 70’s and 80’s.
The Salt Lake weather office climate summary shows that so far this month, (August) cooling degree days have been 176, normal for the period would be 214.
Cooling degree days since June 1to date, in Salt Lake were 716, normal would be 784. Cooling degree days to date from January 1 in Salt Lake were 769 normal is 822.
The Rocky Mountain region has been very noticeably cooler than normal this summer for those of us who have lived here for decades.
Larry
One year in the early/mid ’70s, in Casper WY, I remember having snow on the fourth of July in Casper which is at about 5300 feet elevation. We also used to get pretty decent snow during those winters such that we were able to build elaborate snow caves in our back yard since the snow was about five feet deep for weeks on end. Fun!
Typically, late July and early August were the hottest part of the year with highs over 100 not too unusual. (Again, in Casper at 5300 feet). But snow has occurred in every month of the year here. It’s just not common in July and August.
So things are just plain variable around here. I’ve been snowed on while standing in direct sunlight and watching a thunderstorm in Wyoming. And it was actually a nice day all in all.
We used to go backpacking up in the Wind Rivers in the early to mid ’70s. There was no time of the year that you didn’t want to be prepared for snow, but again, late July through early August was the least likely time to be snowed upon, and of course, the higher the elevation, the more likely snow was.
Here are some temperature readings from a very accurate temperature logging system I installed where I work. The outdoor temp sensor is in a solar-shielded, fan-aspirated housing, so it reads true air temperature. It’s reasonably far from any pavement or buildings and is about five feet above ground level.
I’ve got true barometric readings from 2003 onwards as well.
Sorry, I didn’t have outdoor temperature data for July of 2008 because someone weed-whackered the cable going to the sensor unit that summer and I didn’t get around to reconnecting things for a quite a while.
I don’t have anything prior to 2003 on this system. This location is very near Casper and at approximately 5330 feet.
This summer has been very wet and quite cool. It’s actually been great in my opinion.
July 2003
High 104.50 7/16/2003 14:25:00
Low 45.95 7/5/2003 05:15:00
Average for Period 76.92
July 2004
High 98.75 7/12/2004 16:15:00
Low 39.65 7/6/2004 05:27:30
Average for Period 70.19
July 2005
High 106.05 7/22/2005 14:50
Low 45.10 7/27/2005 05:25:00
Average for Period: 75.87
July 2006
High 106.85 7/29/2006 15:17:30
Low 50.70 7/3/2006 05:57:30:00
Average for Period: 78.24
July 2007
High 102.95 7/22/2007 14:20
Low 53.95 7/12/2007 05:30:00
Average for period: 77.45
July 2008 – no data
July 2009
High 93.20 7/23/2007 15:50:00
Low 41.25 7/30/2007 05:57:30
Average for Period: 67.97