Hoping to Avoid the Atmospheric River

Leaving Malta, a couple of weeks ago, headed south on vacation, we managed to slip between storms sweeping the country. Except for a stretch of snow-covered highway through Island Park, Idaho, we had dry pavement all the way to the desert.

I doubt we’ll be so lucky on our return trip.

The atmospheric river which I had been hearing so much about this winter is still raging. We’re on the edge of it and we’re nearly in Mexico. Somewhere between here and home, I suspect we’ll have to cross it, but unlike the Missouri, Madison, and Yellowstone rivers, which we crossed on our journey south, there’s no bridge over this one. We’ll have to drive through it.

At the moment the major roads leading into Montana from the south are snowed in, as are the roads in and around Malta.

While I can sympathize with all the folks back home who haven’t had a break from this endless winter, we’ve had our weather issues here, too. It rained yesterday, enough that I could see drops hitting the pool, and temperatures barely reached the low 70s.

It’s overcast this morning and not expected to clear until the afternoon. I may have to put on long pants.

As much as I’m enjoying the weather, I’ve been here long enough. Barb knows that when I get antsy, start complaining about all the people and begin looking north, it’s time to pack the car.

Two days ahead of our departure I’m already checking the road reports, monitoring the Weather Channel, and packing and repacking my bags.

Barb tells me to settle down, but I can’t, either because of the anticipation of the looming trip or the indigestion from the “Screaming Duck” I dined on at a Thai restaurant last night.

It’s hard to tell.

We’re hoping for a window of good weather between storms. The last I checked there was six feet of snow on I-15 south of Monida, and Reynolds Pass was closed south of Ennis. The atmospheric river is expected to dump another six feet of snow on the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Parker Heinlein is at [email protected]