Good E-16 News This Good Friday!!

The E-16 precipitation and snow levels continue to be in the good news category this Good Friday, gang!! 

As you now wizened fisherfolk know, the snow pack that is currently contained in western Montana’s upper climes is the water flow that will greet us when we arrive to fish Extravaganza 2016, in just a bit more than one hundred days now.  As was explained in detail in the article that I attached to my last note to you, the US Department of Agriculture’s National Water and Climate Center for decades tracks, on literally a daily basis, both the year-to-date precipitation amounts as well as the equally important “snow water equivalent” (“SWE”) of each year’s snow pack accumulation throughout the western Rockies and the report this year continues to be an excellent one.

For our targeted river basis, the 52 mile long Bitterroot River that flows from the south right into downtown Missoula (where it merges with the Clark Fork of the Columbia River) current SNOTEL readings are, get this, as follows:  year to date precipitation is rocking in at 102% of twenty year averages and the SWE of this year’s snow pack is right at 97% of twenty year medians.

These are two of the most important variables that will factor into the water levels and water clarity for Extravaganza 2016.  Other factors are included in the weather pattern for the greater Missoula area between now and our June arrivals (i.e., last year we were tracking these same 90%+ averages BUT there was a huge heat wave during April of 2015 that melted half of the then snowpack, leaving us with low water come Group Three) and the ongoing precipitation levels during this El Nino year.  May and early June are traditionally the wettest times of the year in Montana and we need to watch out for excessive rainfall during tha period that will only drive up water levels and increase the turbidity in the rivers’ waters, thereby reducing visibility.

Each year we dance with Mother Nature and it is nice to see the samba that she is doing in coordinated fashion with this year’s Easter Bunny!

Best to all on the oh-so-cusp of it all,

Rock Creek Ron

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