The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-01-15
MOUNTAINS PROMISE LITTLE
WATER DURING SUMNER.
LIGHT SNOWFALL THUS FAR
Small Precipitation in Some Counties
and UnfavorabIe Weather in
Others the Cause.

/NAccording to the observations of the
weather bureau, which has just is
sued, through Section Director Hayes,
it's first bulletin of the season, but
little snow now lies in the mountains
Of the state, rendering the outlook
for well watered streams next sum-
mer rather doubtful During the ear
ly fall about the usual amount of
precipitation occurred, but the latter
part of October and the first few days
of November were dry, and when the
first general snow of any consequence
fell-in November-the ground was
warm and dry and much of the moist
ure as absorbed. At the head waters
of streams emptying into the Mis-
souri, above Great Falls the snowfall
has varied considerably. In those
mountains that can be depended upon
to feed the streams we'll into the sum-
mer the fail has not exceeded the
average. Drifting has been 1alrly gen.
eral, but as the weather has been
uniformly cool since November 8 the
drifts are not as solid as is usual at
the end of December. On the Teton
side of the main range there is an
average amount of undrifted snow,
which has crusted.
At the headwaLers of streams feed
ing the Yellowstone river, the snow
fall has been comparatively light, ex-
cept in Carbon county, where is mas
been from 80 to so per cent greater
than usual. Conditions have been
unfavorable for drifting, but the snow
that has blown into the gulches and
ravines and is harder and more COM
pact than usual.
Drifts Not Frozen.
In the mountains of southwestern
Fergus county, feeding the Judith and
Musselshell rivers, and in the noun
tains of Meagher county, feeding the
Musselshell river, the snowfall has
been much heavier than for the same
period last year, and is considerably
above the average. High winds have
drifted and packed the snow, but the
drifts are not frozen throughout.
Rance Conditions Satisfactory.
Range conditions, as affected by
snowfall, are, upon the whole, salts
factory. The ranges in Teton, Chou.
teau, Valley, Dawson and Custer coun-
ties are clear and rather dry; great
er snowfall would have been benefi-
cial to them.
(. In Rosebud, Yellowstone, Sweet
Grass, Fergus and Meagher counties
SHOWS have, at most points, been
heavy, but drifting and melting have
cleared the range. In the more noun
tainous counties melting on south
slopes, and drifting, have cleared a
large portion of the range. Stock
have had but one severe storm to
contend with-that during the first
half of November and Judging from
reports received, losses caused by it
were inlmaterial.
1. Heavy Fall in Meagher. .'.s
In all that part of Meagher county
lying to the east of White Sulphur
Springs, the greater portion of which
is drained by the Musselshen river,
and in the eastern two-thirds of Fer
gus county, including the Big and
Little Snowy mountains, the fall has
been much heavier than during the
same period for last winter, and is
considerably above the average. High
winds have drifted and packed it Arm
ly, but it is not solid from freezes
following thaws.
Heavy SHOWS have fallen on the
north of the Big Snowy mountains
and on the Fergus county side of the
Little Belt mountains; deep drifts
have settled firmly. but are not solid
In Yellowstone Park.
In the Yellowstone park and noun
tains of Park county the fall averages
from so to IS per cent of the aver
age, but the snow is harder and more
compact than usual; however, it has
not drifted to great extent, due
to the fact that the heaviest snow
in November-w rather damp, was
not accompanied, or Immediately fol