Clark, Wyoming facts for kids
Clark is a small community in Wyoming, United States. It's about 30 miles (50 km) north of Cody in Park County. Clark is not a formal town with a main center or town services. It shares a zip code with Powell, but its only real link to Powell is the school district.
About 300 people live in Clark. They live close together and share about 50 square miles (130 km2) of land. Many residents are farmers, ranchers, or retirees. They enjoy the quiet and peaceful life there. Most people who work travel to nearby towns like Powell or Cody. Clark has an elementary school. However, most older students travel by bus to schools in Powell or Belfry, Montana.
Clark is a great place for outdoor adventures. It borders the Shoshone National Forest, state lands, and lands managed by the BLM. The Clark's Fork River/Canyon is also nearby. Winters in Clark are usually mild. The area is about 4,500 feet (1,400 m) above sea level. It's a dry, high desert area with little rain or snow, usually less than 10 inches (25 cm) per year. This is because the mountains block much of the moisture. In the 1800s, Native American tribes used this area as a winter home. They liked the milder weather, less snow, lots of sunshine, and many animals. You can still find Tipi rings in the area.
History of Clark
The area around Clark has a rich history. John Colter, a famous mountain man, explored the Yellowstone area in 1806. He was part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Colter spent a winter near where Clark is today.
In 1877, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce people passed through the area. He was trying to escape the US Army and reach Canada. There was also a battle near Little Rock Creek. This fight was between General Nelson A. Miles and some Bannock Indians. Little Rock Creek was named after a scout involved in that battle. Another creek, Bennett Creek, is named for Captain Bennett, who died in the fight. The outlaw Earl Durrand also had some adventures in Clark.
Clark and the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone River were named after William Clark. He was one of the leaders of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Wildlife in Clark
Clark is home to many different animals. You can see pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and whitetail deer. There are also elk, black bears, and grizzly bears. You might spot Rocky Mountain Goats and bighorn sheep. Some moose live in the nearby mountains. Other animals include coyotes, wolves, and mountain lions.
Clark's Climate
Clark has a climate known as a warm-summer humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Clark was 105 °F (41 °C). This happened on July 26, 1985. The coldest temperature recorded was -44 °F (-42 °C). This was on December 21, 1990.
| Climate data for Clark, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
72 (22) |
79 (26) |
89 (32) |
95 (35) |
104 (40) |
105 (41) |
102 (39) |
103 (39) |
90 (32) |
78 (26) |
69 (21) |
105 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 59.1 (15.1) |
60.8 (16.0) |
69.7 (20.9) |
78.8 (26.0) |
84.8 (29.3) |
92.6 (33.7) |
97.7 (36.5) |
95.5 (35.3) |
91.5 (33.1) |
81.2 (27.3) |
67.8 (19.9) |
59.9 (15.5) |
98.3 (36.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 37.4 (3.0) |
40.0 (4.4) |
50.5 (10.3) |
57.4 (14.1) |
66.0 (18.9) |
76.1 (24.5) |
85.2 (29.6) |
83.5 (28.6) |
73.4 (23.0) |
59.5 (15.3) |
46.8 (8.2) |
37.6 (3.1) |
59.5 (15.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.0 (−5.6) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
35.7 (2.1) |
43.5 (6.4) |
52.8 (11.6) |
62.0 (16.7) |
69.5 (20.8) |
67.4 (19.7) |
57.6 (14.2) |
44.2 (6.8) |
32.4 (0.2) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
44.6 (7.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 6.5 (−14.2) |
11.1 (−11.6) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
39.7 (4.3) |
48.0 (8.9) |
53.8 (12.1) |
51.3 (10.7) |
41.9 (5.5) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
18.0 (−7.8) |
8.1 (−13.3) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −16.9 (−27.2) |
−10.8 (−23.8) |
−0.1 (−17.8) |
13.9 (−10.1) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
35.6 (2.0) |
44.3 (6.8) |
40.6 (4.8) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
12.5 (−10.8) |
−5.1 (−20.6) |
−14.8 (−26.0) |
−24.6 (−31.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −37 (−38) |
−38 (−39) |
−39 (−39) |
−7 (−22) |
14 (−10) |
27 (−3) |
36 (2) |
28 (−2) |
16 (−9) |
−12 (−24) |
−30 (−34) |
−44 (−42) |
−44 (−42) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.25 (6.4) |
0.30 (7.6) |
0.33 (8.4) |
0.74 (19) |
1.41 (36) |
1.30 (33) |
0.79 (20) |
0.66 (17) |
0.78 (20) |
0.58 (15) |
0.34 (8.6) |
0.24 (6.1) |
7.72 (197.1) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.1 (10) |
4.5 (11) |
2.5 (6.4) |
1.8 (4.6) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
3.0 (7.6) |
3.9 (9.9) |
21.1 (52.75) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 5.4 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 6.9 | 5.8 | 5.2 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 60.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 15.3 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
