"carex rossii" is native to, and sometimes abundant in, alaska and subarctic canada (nunavut, northwest territories, and yukon territory); western canada (alberta, british columbia, manitoba, and saskatchewan); and the contiguous u.s. (arizona, california, colorado, the dakotas, idaho, minnesota, montana, nevada, new mexico, oregon, utah, washington, and wyoming.) it is found only sporadically in ontario, michigan, and nebraska.