Trentham Stormchasers 2010 USA Roadtrip

Report: Clyve Herbert

Photography: Jane ONeill / Clyve Herbert

Roadtrip / Snowchase Day 14: 5th May, 2010, Wyoming  - Montana

Day 15: 5th May, 2010:  It looked like a nice morning from the hotel window in Gillette - bright blue sky, and sharp early morning sunshine. It was a different story when we stood in the carpark loading the car! The reality was a 30 knot northerly and a temperature of 25F (-4C). The airmass was very dry, but there was still a patch of ice on the car roof. A leaking hose had spread water across the parking area overnight and there was now a sheet of ice!

Despite being early (7am), Gillette is an industrial town and there were already traffic jams. We escape to the interstate where there is virtually no traffic and head west. About 20 or 30 miles west of Gillette, we are stunned by the glistening white peaks of the Bighorn Range in Wyoming! A spring cold spell, not only had maintained the winter snow cover, but had dropped the snowline to the foothills. Over the next several hours, we plod north driving through undulating hills and snow patches, eventually reaching the Montana border. We are low on fuel and it's time for our mandatory daily hotdog. We pull into a large Cenex gas station - we're surprised by the metre long potholes in the driveway....the petrol (gas) bowser is filthy - after fuelling, we enter the Cenex shop -  at most gas stations in the States you can buy just about everything....they also provide a restroom service...what struck me about this establishment was the smell...and you could find the restrooms by following it! The place was gross...and the worst example of a gas station we had seen in the USA! As I enter the Mens...the walls are covered in graffiti...I'm surprised about graffiti in the USA - it rarely offers a political comment. I thought I'd seen just about everything written on a toilet wall in Australia, but the stuff written here wouldn't be thought of by an Australian..just above the urinal in black texta, in large writing is "I will will tongue your bung...call Matt." the door opens, and this large sweaty guy walks in...I'm not sure if it was the graffiti or the dribbling smile that got me out of there!  We passed on the hotdog lunch and escaped...!

For the remainder of the day, we pass through much prettier country west of Billings, with magnificent snow covered peaks and vistas. Just east of Butte, we climb up to a pass reaching almost 6,500'. Snow still lies thickly here after 2 weeks of cold snowy weather. We drop down to Butte, which is another industrial town, and quite large. Snow showers had been building through the day across the high mountainous areas. An upper low was moving into western Montana with a 500hPa cold pool of -35C. This was reflected in the convection that was developing in relatively low humidities. The low topped cumulus that was readily developing virtually everywhere was becoming obscured by falling snow virga. Occasionally, almost a mammatus bulge of snow would fall groundward - they were spectacular sights in the semi arid valleys between mountain ridges. Some of these interior valleys struggle to get 12 - 15" of precipitation a year, but the country is well watered with many rivers and creeks originating from the snowy high ranges. We continue west to Missoula - this town is located in far western Montana and in the late afternoon it's overcast with snow flurries...the surrounding higher peaks are snowcapped. We have an appointment here to pick up an 1850's antique barometer - once we have completed the business, we head east again. The radio is spurting winter weather warnings..heavy snow is expected overnight as the upper low intensifies.

We drive east through snow flurries, but nothing significant - we get as far as Bozeman where the weather closes in. Fog and heavy snow has ended our day.

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Bighorn Range, Wyoming

 

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Peaks on the Bighorn approach 13,000'

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A cold spring has brought the snowline to abnormally low levels!

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Bighorn Range

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Wyoming mountains look fantastic in the snow!

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Yellowstone River and railway bridge, Montana

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Snow showers gather on the Montana mountains

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Montana

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Winters are long in Montana

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Snowshower near Butte, Montana

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Dust devil at 36F!!

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As we progress further west, the snow became more extensive about the higher ranges

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Montana snow showers

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Frozen waterfall, near Whitehall (approx 6,000')

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Snow, Walmart carpark, Bozeman. A winter weather warning advisory had been issued

Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode...

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