Weekly conditions update – 6/8/2026:
– The past week was very dry, with no measurable precipitation recorded across the watershed, dropping annual precipitation to 94% of average for the date.
– Less than 5% of this year’s peak SWE remains on the ground, with only the Two Ocean Plateau SNOTEL site still holding snow.
– Saturday’s warm temperatures led to rapid melt of remaining high elevation snowpack and slight increases in tributary streamflow.
– Snake River above Alpine natural streamflow – or streamflow without the effects of dams and regulation – peaked on May 14th, more than 3 weeks earlier than average. Regulated streamflow, or actual flow in the river, peaked on May 31st reflecting higher releases from Jackson Lake Dam combined with a snowmelt pulse.
– Jackson Lake is 96% full with outflow around 4,500 cfs. Reservoir storage has declined by 5,500 acre-feet over the past week. Outflow from the dam is currently 117% of average for the date, in line with Reclamation’s projections of high outflows this summer.
– Palisades filled an additional 20,000 acre-feet over the past week due to high elevation snowmelt and Jackson releases. The reservoir is currently 40% full and outflow dropped from 13,000 to 12,000 cfs over the weekend.
– Maximum daily water temperatures have increased over the past week. All monitoring locations remain at least several degrees below Wyoming Game and Fish advisory levels.