It's snowing in Yellowstone--on the first day of summer.

[Judi Lynn]

It’s snowing in Yellowstone—on the first day of summer.
Snow can happen any month of the year in the national park, where wildlife has adapted to fluctuations in climate.
2 MINUTE READ
BY DOUGLAS MAIN

PUBLISHED JUNE 21, 2019

NEAR YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARKPeople have long been enchanted by this land, and it’s easy to see why: Nowhere on Earth has such a stunning display of wildlife, matched with an incredible assortment of geologic activity in the form of hot springs and geysers. It really is, as it was referred to in its early days, a wonderland.

As of Friday, it’s officially summer in Yellowstone, and all manner of animals are out, breeding, eating grass, hunting, running, lounging, menacing, cowering, playing, rejoicing. Yellowstone is alive. And guess what? It’s snowing!

That’s right. The weather forecast had warned of snow and temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit on the summer solstice, the unofficial first day of summer. Sure enough, we’ve got eight inches of fresh powder here in southwestern Montana, an hour from the entrance to the national park in West Yellowstone.

Though it may seem surprising, such extreme weather is part of the climate in Yellowstone, where snow can fall any month of the year.

More:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/06/yellowstone-snow-summer-solstice/

[shanny]

1. I was just going to say, snow in the high country

in mid-summer didn't used to be unusual. It was practically an annual event in Stanley ID for the 4th of July.

[2naSalit]

3. Have to agree, been in both places

when it snowed in late June and early July. Stanley is a lot like West in that sense.

[shanny]

4. +1

[2naSalit]

5. Back at ya!

[GemDigger]

2. Well, I got 2 inches yesterday ... in town. Still having to use the heat in the morning.

What a wacky, wacky year, but yet ….. no such thing as climate change.

[2naSalit]

6. I dunno...

back in the '70s this wasn't so unusual, even the snow last winter. It's kind of chilly here in the SW part of the state, I can see it snowing up on the peaks nearby right now at roughly 7000ft, yesterday the snow level was around 6,000ft, maybe a bit lower.

It's the 90F+ summers that aren't normal, I don't recall it even getting up into the high 80s around here back thirty years ago. I do recall snowier and much colder winters.

ETA: That's the climate change I'm noticing along with a shift in latitudinal and elevation shifts in vegetation and some animals.