Is summer very short? (Evanston, Riverton: garden, swimming, vacation)

[cvanripe10]

In Wyoming, particuarly the Jackson Hole area, are the summers very short??

In the NYC area winter comes around december and stays till april. Leaves bloom in late april/early may and the begin to change color in late september/early october. The leaves are completely gone around thanksgiving.

What's it like in Wyoming?? I hear winter is most of the year, is this true?

[RockyMtnr]

Wyoming is 8 months of skiing and 3 months of really bad sledding. Summer is usually mid July to mid August ... at which time, it may snow.
Sprinklers get turned on about Memorial Day. They get turned off and blown-out the week after Labor Day.
Whatever it is, if you don't have it done by the end of October, it probably won't get done
'til after mid-March.
Last frost is usually around April 15th or later. You can plant 30 days after that.
Last blizzard is often mid-June. First blizzard is usually mid-September.
It can freeze any night of the year - including the night after a 100 degree day.
Summer, as I say, is usually one or two nights in late July.
Doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself - just keep those thermals on under your tank-tops and swimming-trunks.

[cvanripe10]

...wow. Interesting climate.

[Kokopelli]

Originally Posted by RockyMtnr

Wyoming is 8 months of skiing and 3 months of really bad sledding.

That's hilarious!!

Originally Posted by RockyMtnr

...Doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself - just keep those thermals on under your tank-tops and swimming-trunks.

Oh, geez...I love the outdoors, but I guess it's a good thing I'm mostly an "indoor girl"!!

[pmjinnh]

Well...at least now I know how to pack for my August vacation next summer!

[ElkHunter]

Last year we had summer on the 7th of July. From 1 til 4.

[jazzlover]

There's some tongue-in-cheek in this thread, but not much. Summer is indeed fairly short in much of Wyoming. It can snow in June, even at lower elevations. I've seen it snow plenty in September at lower elevations, too. Probably the longest growing season in the state is 130-150 days--most places it's less than that. Oh, and there is that "wind thing" . . .

[RockyMtnr]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

There's some tongue-in-cheek in this thread, but not much. Summer is indeed fairly short in much of Wyoming. It can snow in June, even at lower elevations. I've seen it snow plenty in September at lower elevations, too. Probably the longest growing season in the state is 130-150 days--most places it's less than that. Oh, and there is that "wind thing" . . .

I have been snowed on July 4th. July 15th. July 21st. I have never been snowed on it August except for once - I was on a glacier-field in the Absarokas - east of the Tetons in the Jackson area - and it was snowing ON the glacier. I'd step off of the ice and there would be no snow. I'd step back on the ice and get covered - less than 3 feet away. That particular glacier, at that time was about 35' x 200'.
So, actually Jazzlover, no tongue-in-cheeking at all, here.

[Cloudfish]

I don't plant my garden until the very end of May to beginning of June. Unfortunately I learned this the hard way. I have seen it snow here in any given month of the year---granted, I was in the mountains when it snowed in August....

As a general rule, though, winter is basically October through May.

[RockyMtnr]

Originally Posted by Kokopelli

That's hilarious!!



Oh, geez...I love the outdoors, but I guess it's a good thing I'm mostly an "indoor girl"!!

Koko - there are many reservoirs (lakes) where it never warms up enough to swim. A few, it warms up enough to swim a little during the summer - but you have to pick the right time of day. Wyoming is mostly above 6,000 ft and all the water comes from up the hill. Around Riverton, there are a couple of swimming holes. Around Evanston, you have to go over into Utah for a chance to swim. Utah is about 2000 feet lower and more. I don't know what else there is - I know there's a spot in NE Wyoming somewhere - I camped there one year for a few weeks - but don't recall the spot (no towns nearby) - on the Montana line. ElkHunter is more familiar with that area.