Wyoming Winds

At the northernmost extent of the Snowy Range Mountains, high peaks give way to powerful winds that can exceed 70 miles per hour, blowing away winter snow, leaving ridges and slopes bare, and exposing grasses and shrubs that provide winter food for elk, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope. Elk and mule deer migrate from high mountain summer ranges to these foothills and basins for winter. Along Wagonhound Creek, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has acquired 12,870 acres of windblown slopes and basins to protect and maintain this crucial winter range. Because winter range in Wyoming is in critically short supply, these lands are managed to balance grasses and shrubs for forage with conifers that provide cover from wind, sun, and heat loss during cold periods, helping wildlife survive harsh winter conditions.

Wyoming · United States