• Red cliffs descend into the water of Bighorn Canyon

    Bighorn Canyon

    National Recreation Area MT,WY

  • Bighorn Canyon Alerts

    Build fires in designated fire pits. High winds can cause fires to get out of control. There is remodeling work going on at the Trail Creek Campground near Barry's Landing. Some camp sites may be closed while this work is completed. Some sites are open. More »

Weather Data - Yellowtail Dam Area

Yellowtail Dam Area

NPS

The area beyond Yellowtail Dam gets enough precipitation for mixed grasslands to thrive.

The Yellowtail Dam sits at the mouth of Bighorn Canyon, approximately a mile from Fort Smith, Montana. The precipitation around this area is 15 – 18 inches a year.

Rain here is more likely to be significant in May and June. Just downriver from the dam begin the rolling grasslands which stretch across the horizon for miles on end. This landscape is more tolerant of summer grazing and growing wheat because of the rainfall pattern.

Average Temperatures at the Yellowtail Dam, Montana

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
High (F) 40.2 46.1 54.0 63.4 72.7 82.7 91.0 91.0 79.2 66.1 49.0 41.7
Low (F) 17.7 21.9 28.0 36.2 44.5 52.4 57.2 56.1 47.2 38.5 27.7 20.5

Average Precipitation in inches at Yellowtail Dam

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
0.9 0.7 1.4 2.1 3.1 2.2 1.5 1.0 1.8 1.9 1.0 0.9



Did You Know?

Spotted Bat resting at the Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center, photo by J. Ryan

The Spotted bat, Euderma maculatum, echolocation calls are audible to the unaided human ear.  They are listed as a sensitive species of concern in Montana and Wyoming. More...