Snow completely gone at this elevation but remains persistent and abundant at higher elevations. Local trails very wet. Streams at high flow. Regular afternoon thunder- and hail- storms trigger daily flash flood warnings. South of us, in central Yellowstone National Park, at elevations above 2400 meters, forest remains snow-covered and open areas remain very very wet. Most trails up there remain impassable.
On 18 May the Gallatin River basin had 126% of expected snow water equivalent (SWE) based on median value from 1981 to 2010. The northern Rocky Mountain region of the continental US has good surface water abundance but strong droughts continue to the east and south of us.
Many deciduous trees have their leaves, often still in reddish immature stages. On the local forest floor we find dog-tooth violets and sage buttercups. In the local lawns we see very numerous dandelions. Local farmers have planted their fields, mostly with spring wheat. The field in this picture has grass, intended for hay. We hear occasional sandhill cranes down along the tree line. A large red-tailed hawk hunts in this field.
