Since our last glimpse (through the admittedly jaundiced eyes of a fly fisher) at the seasonal water supply for Montana and the greater northern Rockies neighborhood it’s been fairly wet, though much of that input to the system has fallen as rain instead of adding to the season’s less-than-sterling snowpack numbers.
Back when I was practicing in Kalispell old-timer after old-timer shared the axiom that the upcoming fire season was as much (if not more in the eyes of some) dependent upon the volume and coverage of spring rains versus the high snowpack at the end of May. Here’s to hoping that bit of wisdom holds true this year.
Today’s Stream Flows
A bird’s eye view of stream flows this morning around the country doesn’t show all that many surprises for the northern Rockies and the West in general given how the spring has shaped up so far.
The central part of the country has been hammered; parts of central Texas will be rebuilding for a year and the Texas coastal bays will be fresh (and not fishing well) for weeks (we’ve heard some say two months potentially given the forecast).
Snowpack and Snow Water Equivalents
Snowpack (above) in Montana, the northern Rockies, and the PNW looks dismal for most of the region, though Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) graphed below looks a bit better when you consider it basin by basin, at least in Montana.
The zero readings for SWE dotting the PNW (i.e., the Olympics for one) portend a dry, sober summer.
Montana Water Year to Date
Montana’s WYTD (Water Year to Date) is probably the most optimistic data of the set, as the spring rains that have fallen have pushed the recording stations throughout the central and western parts of the state into the normal / slightly above normal range for the most part.
The Take Home…
Fish now; near, far and everywhere you can. There’s always fishing to be done no matter what flows the season brings, though conventional wisdom clearly points to a skinny water summer and early fall.
Carpe diem.
