Jackson Hole fire officials brace for another tough summer
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - Fire officials are bracing for another difficult summer even though snowpack amounts are better than they were last year.
Snowpack in Bridger-Teton National Forest is at about 75 percent of normal, which is the equivalent of about 70 percent of the average amount of moisture, according to forest fire management officer Wade Burleson.
Burleson predicts conditions to be similar to the summer of 2000.
"Right now I'm still kind of holding my breath," he said.
The amount of spring rain that falls will be a major factor in determining the seriousness of the fire season. Ideally, he said, the area will get a steady amount of rain over a prolonged period.
Also, the longer the snowpack lasts the better, although mild spring temperatures are also on Burleson's wish list.
The long-range forecast isn't working in Burleson's favor, however.
Mark Cunningham, a senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Riverton, said average precipitation is expected through June.
The forecast also calls for above-average temperatures in April and average temperatures in May and June.
"If we continue on this pattern, the West is rapidly losing its chance for significant precipitation," he said.
He said the Jackson area should have received most of its precipitation in the form of snow between December and February, but that did not happen as normal.
The Jackson area is in extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. "We're in for another busy fire season," he said.
Other parts of the West are worse off. Arizona and New Mexico have less than 25 percent of their normal snowpack, while the rest of Wyoming ranges from 60 percent to 75 percent of normal snowpack, Burleson said.
Burleson plans to hire his seasonal fire crew and begin training over the next two months. If the situation worsens, he said, the forest can apply for additional funding starting in mid-June.
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I will be posting articles on the Yellowstone region on the discussion forum, especially AP stories reported in the Casper Star-Tribune. This paper has a lot of useful stories, especially from the Grand Teton region, but they roll their stories off every few days. I want them up much longer. This discussion forum only rolls off as it gets too large.
