Snow totals — remain low
Snow depths in areas closest to Newcastle are below the 30-year median for snow water equivalent, according to the Black Hills Snow Course Reading for March 1 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Sundance.
Snow water equivalent, or SWE, is a common snowpack measurement for the amount of water contained in the snowpack.
The report shows that Little Bear Run, with an elevation of 6,240 feet, has 13.2 inches of snow currently. This equates to 2.7 inches of SWE, or 75% of the median.
The 30-year median for Little Bear Run, the report says, is 3.6 inches SWE.
While the SWE may not be at the 30-year median, it is significantly higher than this time last year when zero inches of SWE were recorded.
As for Mallo, with an elevation of 6,420 feet, it has a current snow depth of 22.2 inches. This equates to 5.3 inches of SWE, or 82% of the median.
According to the report, the 30-year median SWE for Mallo is 6.5 inches.
Similar to last year, Mallo’s SWE was significantly lower at the same time last year with only 2 inches.
March brings the county’s first fire
Despite the recent frigid temperatures and snow, Weston County is still dry enough for wildfires to start as is evident by a March 1 fire that ignited off Upton Fairview Road.
According to a Facebook post by the Weston County Fire Protection District, county resources responded to a fire in Upton on March 1. Resources included four type 6 engines, one type 2 tender and two command units, as well as nine firefighters.
The fire was contained at 4.6 acres, according to the post.