When is Spring Time in YNP?

The Bald Eagle post made be wonder, when are the actual seasons in YNP?

When is Spring Time in YNP?

Yellowstone is in the mountains of the northern latitudes of the US. Spring is hard to define as it can snow in June or July and 2 hours later be 70 to 80 degrees. It can be really nice in April and May and then there will be a blizzard. One really never knows which day will be spring.

When is Spring Time in YNP?

Yes, that is how it is where I live as well. One day it can be a snow storm - the next day 70%26#39;s. But we still define an average spring time. And, many posts on here refer to spring time, so if someone could tell me the definition/time frame of these references I would appreciate it.

I have been a regular ';springtime'; visitor to Yellowstone for several years. The point at which winter ends and spring begins in the greater Yellowstone area cannot always be that well defined like it can be in other parts of the country. It can happen anytime between early May and mid to late June. When it does occur, it can do so in as little as a 24 hour period as well. Those mountains and rolling plains at those higher elevations do stange things to the weather patterns. That%26#39;s why it%26#39;s rather difficult to advise folks how to pack for a visit to the park at that time of year, as we have to be prepared for all possibilities.

The Park Service tries to have everything open and running by Memorial Day weekend, and most years they do. However even that depends on the weather and the amount of snowpack that the crews have to deal with.

Between May 15th and June 1st. 2007 we enjoyed warm, mild days with temps reaching into the 70s, and only a few light passing showers. Everything was green, the only snow left was above 10,000 feet, and Spring was well underway at that time. Over that same period last year(2008)we saw several days with temps in the 20s, the 30s and 40s were the norm, we had winds gusting to 30mph, ice, rain, sleet, fog, and up to 10 inches of new snowfall. During that two week period I think we had about 4 non-consecutive days of sunshine when we were able to get out and hike, and even then there was some serious snowpack, roaring streams, and lots of mud in the back country.

I can assure you that no one is trying to be evasive about answering your question here. It%26#39;s just impossible to pick a date, a week, or even a month, and say for sure that the weather will be mild and sunny from then on.

The springtime motto in Yellowstone is, ';Pack for the worst and hope for the best.';

Actually, I%26#39;m not worried about packing-I have that down after several vacations in high elevations in later winter and spring/summer. I see a lot of posts about what to do when and wildlife that talk about in the spring and just wondered what time period that is since I am aware after ready many posts here that spring and weather are subjective.

Spring to me is by definition variable.

That said, spring comes late,,, but think May and June when the bears emerge, the babies are born and the heavy snowpack melts and the first flowers bloom.

As Hawkeye stated, it really varies by the year. Last year, and this year, we had snowstorms late in March and through April, that pushed up the depths of snow throughout the park. While the roads are all bare and open (except for Dunraven to Tower) at this time, there are snowbanks off the roads. The meadows are just starting to melt and the rivers are just starting to swell with the snow pack.

Yesterday, we saw 50 degrees F in some parts of the park, but it is still freezing every night.

But, the bears are out in full force. Lots of sightings in the Mammoth area, Tower area, Lamar Valley. One friend spotted nine bears in one morning drive!

The bison are starting to drop their calves, although many seem to have been holding out for another week. The predators are really moving throughout the park this spring, so some of the bison cows seem to be keeping their calves in the woods. The West Yellowstone News had a great photo of a wolf laying on the road near Midway Geyser Basin with cow and calf a few feet away.

Yesterday, we saw a tiny calf along the road near Madison Junction. We suspect that there will be many more in the next week.

The elk are also lower in the river meadows. We saw a number of pregnant cows along the Madison River. The elk usually calf the first two weeks in June.

The wildflowers have to wait for the snows to recede. Mid-June to July last year had an explosion of wildflowers and I expect this year will be the same due to the late snows.

Spring can actually just be a week or two, especially if it is a late winter. To me, it is one of the best times of the year for spotting wildlife.