'People have long been enchanted by this land, and it’s easy to see why: Nowhere on Earth has such a stunning display of wildlife, matched with an incredible assortment of geologic activity in the form of hot springs and geysers. It really is, as it was referred to in its early days, a wonderland.
As of Friday, it’s officially summer in Yellowstone, and all manner of animals are out, breeding, eating grass, hunting, running, lounging, menacing, cowering, playing, rejoicing. Yellowstone is alive. And guess what? It’s snowing!
That’s right. The weather forecast had warned of snow and temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit on the summer solstice, the unofficial first day of summer. Sure enough, we’ve got eight inches of fresh powder here in southwestern Montana, an hour from the entrance to the national park in West Yellowstone.
Though it may seem surprising, such extreme weather is part of the climate in Yellowstone, where snow can fall any month of the year.
Yet David Alder, an independent park guide who’s lived near West Yellowstone for 13 years, says that such a heavy snow is uncommon, happening to this degree maybe once every five years.
“But we’ll get a skiff of snow every month, just a slight bit—one or two inches that will melt off quickly,” he says. But “this is heavy and thick and this is sticking... this will wreak havoc on a lot of tourists right now.”'
Read more: It’s snowing in Yellowstone—on the first day of summer.
