 These snowy peaks over my shoulder make for a fantastic scenery and recreation for those who venture there. But all that snow is important even for those who live far away. On each side of the Veracys are massive river systems including the Columbia and the Mississippi that start a snow melt high in the mountains and drain all the way to two different oceans. The snow that falls up there influences plants animals and people all the way from the Alpine to the coasts. Snow that falls at these high elevations in wintertime remains there until warm summer temperatures finally reach the high country and runoff begins. This slow release of the water held in the snowpack helps supply our streams rivers lakes and reservoirs throughout the hot summers for a myriad of uses including recreation irrigation and drinking water. You can think of the snowpack as a water savings account where deposits are made in the winter and wealth draws in the summer. From the mountains down to the plains and finally onto the ocean snowpack affects all of us. From the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service I'm Mae Smith exploring the nature of Wyoming.