This year's runoff has been one of frustration on this end. We started out so well, with a robust increase in water flow, only to have things screech to a roaring relative standstill. In trying to make sense out of this, I did an analysis of the high and low Missoula temperatures for the past 12 days and uncovered the following: Although the average high has been a runoff-acceptable 60 degrees, the culprit has been the unusually low nighttime temps of just 35 degrees which, when combined with a further drop of 10 degrees on the mountain tops, has created nighttime frigid temperatures literally freezing the runoff flow!
Looking ahead, between now and the end of May (next Wednesday), Missoula daytime highs are forecast to be an average of 70 degrees, and, blessedly, nighttime lows are to be an average of 43 degrees which should be just enough to allow the flow to continue, rather than freeze, during darkness.
We shall see what the weekend has to offer us!!
RCR---<'///:><
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