The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-04-12
MONTHS PRECIPITATION WAS
GREATLY OVER AVERAGE.
GROUND IS WELL SOAKED
Deep Shows Result in Abundance Of
Moisture All Over Range
Sections.

AS summed up from the reports
made to him the section director OF
the weather bureau believes the
amount of spring moisture resulting
from the winters snow will be greater
this season than ordinarily. In his
snow bulletin for March Mr. Young
summarizes range conditions through
out the state. The latter half OF
the month was unfavorable both for
sheep and cattle.
Excessive Precipitation.
Concerning the temperature and
snowfall of March the bulletin says:
"The temperature for March aver
aged colder than usual in all sec
tions of the state, the deficiency being
due to cold periods in the first and
second decades; the period from the
9th to 22nd was comparatively mild.
The precipitation was decidedly in
excess OF the normal, and the greater
portion of the snow remaining in the
mountains fell during March, the
storms in this month being more fre-
quent and heavier than those in Jan
uary and February. While not as
solidly packed as is usually the case
with the snow that falls earlier in
the season, yet it is for the most part
fairly well packed by winds and is
drifted to greater depths than usual
in the ravines and gulches. Much Of
the snow fell at temperatures near
or above the freezing point, and con-
sequently will produce more than the
average amount of moisture. The
latter half of the month was, ON the
whole, very unfavorable for both cat
tile and sheep.
As to Range Conditions.
THE ranges, as rule, especially
in the eastern counties, had either
become exhausted or were covered to
considerable depth with snow stock
was in a weakened condition, and the
weather quite cold and stormy AS a
result of these conditions, there have
been heavy losses in those sections
where the main dependence was on
ranges. There are, however, many ex-
ceptions to this general statement,
mainly in the western counties; hay
being more plentiful there, and in
many sections, sufficient to carry stock
over those periods when the weather
was stormy or the ranges were in
accessible on account of heavy snow
covering.
''In the mountains draining into
those streams which form the head
waters of the Missouri river there
is considerable variation both ailn the
amount of snow that fell and the
amounts that accumulated. In the
watershed of the Jefferson the tall
was much heavier than usual and
the accumulation much greater than
last year in the ranges draining into
the Big Hole river, while in those
drained by the Wise and Beaverhead
there was generally only about the
average amount, and this fell princi-
pally during the latter part of the
month.
Greater Water Supply.
cover the Madison watershed the
amount received during the month was
quite uniformly greater than usual,
and the drifts in most places are
deep and solidly packed. Lower down
the Missouri river and over the east
ern counties generally, including the
| Yellowstone and Milk river valleys,
the reports are, with rare exceptions,
to the effect that the snowfall has
been considerably above the average,
and that the water supply will be
greater than last year. In the val
| leys and on the south sides of the
| mountains there are large areas from
| which all snow has melted, but gene
| rally there was little frost in the
ground when the snow fell, and the
resulting water was largely absorbed,
thus leaving the ground we'll soaked
and in excellent condition for growth
of the early grass.
"In the country west of the main
divide the general situation as re-