EVANSTON, Wyoming — A late-season snowstorm dropped several inches of snow on Evanston overnight, surprising some residents but bringing welcome relief to a region dealing with a dry winter.
By midday, much of the snow had already begun to melt under clearing skies and warming temperatures.
Roads and sidewalks were mostly clear, with snow lingering mainly on grassy areas around the city.
Officials said between 4 and 5 inches fell in Evanston, though amounts varied in some areas.
Public works crews said the storm had little impact on travel.
After temperatures reached the 80’s just last week, the ground remained warm enough that snow melted quickly on contact with pavement.
Crews did not need to plow most roads, focusing instead on a few bridges where colder air underneath created slick spots.
Even so, city leaders say the timing of the storm does not take away from its value.
“When I went up to push the snow off my truck this morning, it was probably 4 or 5 inches on top of it. It was welcome to see,” said Evanston Mayor Kent Williams. “We’re going to get thirsty before the end of this summer, I’m afraid, and so right now we need all the snow we can get. It’s a little late in the year. People want to start doing things and going on camp outs and all that kind of stuff, but we need the snow. Badly.”
Evanston Public Works Director Gordon Robinson said storms like this have been rare this season.
“We’ve actually had only a couple of storms this entire winter that we had to even go plow this time,” Robinson said.
Despite arriving in mid-May, he said the storm delivered something the region has been lacking.
“Absolutely. We need the water,” Robinson said. “The whole region, as you know, it’s been a very weird winter, very dry. It’s been no different here. We could really use the snow. This snow has got good moisture content to it. It’s amazing for both for our city water system and all the agriculture we have around here as well.”
Late-season snow is not unusual for Evanston.
Robinson said snowfall can occur into late spring and even early summer.
Still, after an unusually dry winter, even a short-lived storm can make a difference.
“Just to get the snow is appreciated,” he said. “It's one of those storms we love because it has good moisture content, but we don't have to go plow because it melts off. So, that's a great storm for us.”
Read more: More snow falls in Utah mountains after dry winter start
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