Wyoming Spring 2019 Snowmelt Flood Potential---issued April 17th

Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain in the Mid-South; Heat Continues in the Southeast and Southwest

Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected across portions of the mid-Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and portions of Arizona. Dangerous heat persists in the South and Southeast while building into the Southwest. Overnight lows will be so warm that, when combined with oppressive dew points, little-to-no relief from the scorching daytime highs will be available. Read More >

HIGHLIGHTS:

…Moderate to High potential for snowmelt runoff flooding is forecasted along the lower portions of the Laramie Watershed (near Laramie)…

…Moderate potential for snowmelt runoff flooding is forecasted along the lower portions of the Upper North Platte River Basin (near Saratoga) and along the lower portions of the Little Snake Watershed (near Dixon/Baggs)…

…All other of headwater basins across Wyoming can expect a generally Low potential for flooding due to springtime snowmelt runoff...

QUICK SYNOPSIS:

Mountain snowpack and associated snow water equivalents (SWEs) across most of Wyoming continued to be generally above average by the middle of April. SWEs at the peak snowmelt runoff elevations (8,500’ – 10,000’) were the highest across the Little Snake, Upper North Platte, Laramie, and Snake Basins at 120 to 130 percent of median. The Tongue, Bighorn, and Powder Watersheds had SWEs at 80 to near 90 percent of median at the peak snowmelt runoff elevations.

This outlook is based on various diverse hydrological factors such as snow water equivalents (SWEs) in the mountain snowpack, basin morphology (i.e. how basins respond to snowmelt runoff), antecedent soil moisture, biological/physical factors (bark beetle kill/spruce blight///fire burn scars), low elevation snow depths, and likely temperature and precipitation trends during late spring/early summer.

The current Wyoming Spring 2019 Snowmelt Runoff Flood Potential Outlook graphic: