Editing Ashton, Idaho (section)

===Moisture channel===
[[Image:MoistureChannel.jpg|thumb|150px|Moisture Channel]] [[Image:YellowstonePrecip.jpg|thumb|150px|Precipitation map]]
Ashton's climate is unique and distinct relative to most of the U.S. northern Intermountain West. Ashton's annual precipitation, at {{convert|20|in|cm|0}}, is among the highest in southern Idaho and yet Ashton is not in the mountains. Further, the areas five miles (8&nbsp;km) north or five miles (8&nbsp;km) east of Ashton receive over {{convert|30|in|cm|0}} of precipitation while [[St. Anthony, Idaho|St. Anthony]], only {{convert|13|mi}} to the southwest, receives only {{convert|14|in|cm}}. This unusually high precipitation in the Ashton area is due to the geography of southern Idaho and Yellowstone. The [[Snake River Plain]], formed by the Yellowstone hotspot across southern Idaho, creates a moisture channel that extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Ashton and Yellowstone area. Average monthly precipitation in Ashton shows a transitional regime. Precipitation peaks first in December–January, reflecting influence from Pacific Ocean-originating storms during the winter season, and second in May and June, reflecting showers and thunderstorms that create a May/June rainfall peak that prevails in nearby Montana and Wyoming. Ashton has relatively drier summers (July/August). This area marks the virtually easternmost extremity of the typical Pacific Northwest annual precipitation pattern, with its dry summers. According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], Ashton has a dry-summer [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Dsb'').