Greater Yellowstone Network: Climate of 2009
Tercek MT and Gray ST. 2010. Greater Yellowstone Network: Climate of 2009. Natural Resource Report. NPS/GRYN/NRR—2010/262. National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center. Fort Collins, Colorado
A report describing a survey of climate that took place in 2009, including methodology and approaches. Results such as precipitation, temperature, snowpack, streamflow, and drought status are also discussed. This report describes the climate of 2009 for parks in the Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network (GRYN) and surrounding areas. The GRYN comprises Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Teton National Park (including John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway), and Yellowstone National Park. This report focuses on temperature and precipitation, while providing supplemental information on snowpack, streamflow, and the GRYN area drought status. The report includes a series of maps that convey GRYN area climatic conditions, as well as records from individual observing stations used to highlight variability at finer-scales within the GRYN.When averaged across the entire calendar year, 2009 precipitation was near to slightly above the 1971–2000 average in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and somewhat below average in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Average maximum temperature (Tmax) and average minimum temperature (Tmin) were roughly average to slightly below average across the GRYN. In Yellowstone and Grand Teton, snow water equivalent was close to average during most of the water year, but spring storms pushed April and May snowpack above average at some key stations. In the Bighorn Mountains, snowmelt was more rapid than usual, but this was offset by above average peak snowpack at some locations, producing melt out dates very close to average. Total annual runoff in GRYN streams was 90–122% of 1971–2000 averages. Calendar year 2009 continued the recovery from drought that began in 2008. The wet months of June and October balanced unusually dry September, November, and December. By the end of the year, only the northern portions of Bighorn Canyon had any drought classification.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Tercek, Michael; Gray, Stephen
- Date of Issue
- 2010-11
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center
- Units
- BICA , GRTE , NRSS , YELL