Wyoming Meteorologist Says Casper, Laramie Could See Flooding
Cheyenne-based meteorologist Don Day Jr. says the heavy snowpack around much of Wyoming is both good news and bad news.
Day is the founder and President of Dayweather Inc.
He says the good news is that the precipitation will help alleviate drought conditions that have been prevalent in much of the state over the past couple of years. But he says the bad news is that if the snowpack melts quickly, flooding is possible in areas adjacent to rivers this spring.
He says that could include Laramie and Casper, among other areas.
Day says the Green River in Sweetwater County, the North Platte (especially near Saratoga), and the Wind River drainages have especially seen a lot of snow that could lead to flooding. He says the Laramie River in the Laramie area and the North Platte in the Casper area could see spring flooding if warm weather causes a sudden snow melt.
Day says the current situation is similar to what was seen in 2011 when flooding was experienced in areas of Wyoming. He says the potential for spring flooding is being made worse by the fact that the state has had a cold March, meaning much of the snowpack has not melted off this month.
Day said how severe any flooding may get will depends on a couple of variables, including just how warm it gets at any one time and whether we see rain at the same time when the snow melts.
But the extra snow pack is certainly good news in terms of the state's ongoing drought. Day says it probably won't be enough to completely end the drought, but it should moderate the dry conditions in many areas. He says the central, north-central, and west-central parts of Wyoming, the drought "has been mitigated significantly."
But he says the southeast and eastern counties "are still needing some precipitation." That includes Laramie County, especially the eastern part of the county. But overall Day says the "drought areas are shrinking."
You can hear the entire interview with Don Day in the attached audio file. We started by asking him about potential flooding...