Rocky Mountains subalpine zone

Although winter low temperatures may be warmer than those in nearby lower valleys, typically staying above −10 °F (−23 °C), prodigious snows blanket the region well into spring.

The whitebark pine is a keystone species in upper subalpine forests of the northern Rocky Mountains.

Entire forest vistas, like that at Avalanche Ridge near Yellowstone National Park's east gate, are expanses of dead, gray whitebarks.

[6] Due to harsh winters and a relative dearth of food sources, the subalpine harbors limited native animal species.

While bears and the cougar visit the subalpine, lynx, the snowshoe hare, the American marten and various squirrels are among the few important native mammals.