Snowpack not looking very good :(

[CorbLand]

For us it was one of the best seasons in a lot of years birds stayed here to the end. Hoping for some snow and a wet spring we get another good year of production it will be a banger next year. Up until the last few weeks been a struggle for people who depended on us getting cold.

Yea, I think you guys farther North than us did way better. The weather held them up that far. Usually by January we are killing them in fields because all the water is froze up and it’s still running here. We have a pond next to work that gets packed with geese and ducks around early to mid December. I bet the most I have seen on it is 25 ducks and 25 geese.

In ways, I am jealous of you central flyway folk.

 

[mtnbiker208]

For me, winter is the best season of the year. I live for it. Worst winter ever. pray for snow.
We will probably have a very cold and wet spring.

 

[IDVortex]

I was just looking at northern idahos snow numbers. But realistically, we still have February. Compared to last winter, it's been a complete change. Except for the folks who can't drive in the weather and like to stop in the middle of the road when we do get snow and ice and blame the plow truck even though we can't get around anymore.

 

[BBob]

20 inches give or take forecast for the mountains in AZ and S CO over the next 6 days or so. Hopefully the trend continues!

Snow that is!

 

[dtrkyman]

It has been snowing on the mountains in New Mexico regularly, have not looked at total's but it seems pretty consistent anyway, we seem to get more snow late in recent years!

Just checked, we at at 81% as a whole.

 

[mtnbiker208]

Today's cda press article

 

[Stache Attack]

Locally we are “out of the drought” but I can tell you we had late fall precipitation and late green up which is not great for my local deer herd.

Fall precip and a green up late. How does that hurt your herd? We experienced a very similar fall it sounds most cattle still grazing pasture/stubble with some mineral and protein. I figured besides our big cold snap it has been excellent feed conditions for the deer, antelope, and elk not having to work hard.

 

[willfrye027]

Fall precip and a green up late. How does that hurt your herd? We experienced a very similar fall it sounds most cattle still grazing pasture/stubble with some mineral and protein. I figured besides our big cold snap it has been excellent feed conditions for the deer, antelope, and elk not having to work hard.

Our late summer and fall are the hardest nutritionally for our deer from my understanding. There’s almost no food on our winter range until green up, unless we get a good acorn crop. It’s dead grass and oak trees with not much browse. The deer come down and look very skinny until things are green

 

[Stache Attack]

Our late summer and fall are the hardest nutritionally for our deer from my understanding. There’s almost no food on our winter range until green up, unless we get a good acorn crop. It’s dead grass and oak trees with not much browse. The deer come down and look very skinny until things are green

Guess I think/thought it’s better to be open than 3 feet of snow constantly pawing through to find a blade of grass

 

[mtwarden]

Open is better for ungulates vs deep snow for sure.

The trouble begins later with low snow pack-
lack of runoff, low soil moisture, increased fire danger, the list goes on.

 

[IDVortex]

Today's cda press article

We still have February at least. So who knows what could happen then. But if we get snow like we this last storm, it won't be high moisture content.

 

[mtnbiker208]

For me, I love winter more than any other season. Backcountry snowmobiling has been my passion for many decades, I also love river running. You can't do any of them with out a normal snowpack. I have always believed a normal summer, needs a normal winter. They do go hand in hand.

From a feed for animals stand point, i found elk at new years, the same place i found them in october. Exact same place. So i don't know if that helps the feed or hurts. If the animals don't need to move, will they eat out all the feed in there normal summer area, if they never left it?

I should be riding in powder, not typing on a keyboard.

 

[Caseknife]

Any predictors what this might mean for spring bear?

Maybe leaving their dens sooner?

 

[willfrye027]

Guess I think/thought it’s better to be open than 3 feet of snow constantly pawing through to find a blade of grass

Yeah we are pretty dry and limited by rainfall and not so much winter kill

 

[robby denning]

per this thread, the episode with USFS Hydrologist @Josh Boyd is live. We dive deep into what @mtwarden started:

Winter Snowpack Checkup with Josh Boyd

Josh Boyd is a USFS Hydrologist. This episode covers Winter Snowpack, Snow Water Equivalent, The Drought Monitor, The Jet Stream, El Nino, and more

www.rokslide.com

 

[.204smokechaser]

Switched to the fan cooled sleds for this weeks field work.1st two were in the Lolo Pass area last week and the last one is from the Headquarters area this past Sunday.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

I was in short-sleeves yesterday here in Ronan, Montana.
No snow and the labrador decided to go swimming.
We need snow.

 

[bradmacmt]

Brutal...

 

[mtwarden]

yeah several towns reporting record highs yesterday

looks like a slight cool down and some moisture coming this weekend; fingers crossed

 

[.204smokechaser]

Here’s one from the Idaho side of the Magruder today for you folks who hunt that.