Jump to content

Mountain West Discussion


Black Hole

Recommended Posts

I'm halfway up an east-facing bench. The airport at the valley floor has had significantly less snow than I have at 49". But its usually like that so its not a big surprise.  My location is one of the snowiest for my elevation in the SLC area, but that is why I chose to live there!

Nice. Seems like a good location, I am guessing only Sandy is better(catches the entire length of the lake), and it's also at the mouth of the the snowiest canyon(LCC).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm halfway up an east-facing bench. The airport at the valley floor has had significantly less snow than I have at 49". But its usually like that so its not a big surprise.  My location is one of the snowiest for my elevation in the SLC area, but that is why I chose to live there!

 

Hopefully you reach 100" this season! Orographic lifting is certainly in your favor, as you are in an upslope area, which is one of the main reasons you have twice the amount of snow than the airport on the valley floor.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice. Seems like a good location, I am guessing only Sandy is better(catches the entire length of the lake), and it's also at the mouth of the the snowiest canyon(LCC).

 

 

Although there is no official weather station there, my own thoughts are that Olympus Cove is probably the snowiest location in the Salt Lake Valley.  Other than snow reports, one reason I believe this is because of the vegetation.  In the well watered canyons, natural pine forest do approach the elevation of the valley, but in Olympus Cove, pine trees do extend to the valley, even in some locations away from the creeks, which indicates a wetter location.

 

The same thing happens in the hills Southeast of Bountiful, indicating a wet location as well.

 

Another surprising snowy spot in the Salt Lake Valley is the mouth of Bingham Canyon, which averages about 100 inches of snow.   You would think that the Oquirrh Mountains would help shield that area from the Lake Effect, but they don't seem to.

 

The west benches of the Valley can sometimes have impressive snowfall amounts as well.   I measured 31" in 24 hours during January 24-25 1996 at our house in West Kearns near Airport 2.   I should have photographed it and called the news stations because it certainly would have been one of the biggest 24 hour snow totals in the Salt Lake Valley.  I do know that some locations in the Valley received ~30 inches on October 17-18 1984.   The thing about both storms was that the snow totals was that they were very localized.   About one mile from my house, the snow totals were much less (though still with impressive snow depths).  The little hill made a big difference as did the direction of the lake effect winds.  During the 1984 storm, a few miles difference would make all the difference between 2+ feet and only a few inches.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although there is no official weather station there, my own thoughts are that Olympus Cove is probably the snowiest location in the Salt Lake Valley.  Other than snow reports, one reason I believe this is because of the vegetation.  In the well watered canyons, natural pine forest do approach the elevation of the valley, but in Olympus Cove, pine trees do extend to the valley, even in some locations away from the creeks, which indicates a wetter location.

 

The same thing happens in the hills Southeast of Bountiful, indicating a wet location as well.

 

Another surprising snowy spot in the Salt Lake Valley is the mouth of Bingham Canyon, which averages about 100 inches of snow.   You would think that the Oquirrh Mountains would help shield that area from the Lake Effect, but they don't seem to.

 

The west benches of the Valley can sometimes have impressive snowfall amounts as well.   I measured 31" in 24 hours during January 24-25 1996 at our house in West Kearns near Airport 2.   I should have photographed it and called the news stations because it certainly would have been one of the biggest 24 hour snow totals in the Salt Lake Valley.  I do know that some locations in the Valley received ~30 inches on October 17-18 1984.   The thing about both storms was that the snow totals was that they were very localized.   About one mile from my house, the snow totals were much less (though still with impressive snow depths).  The little hill made a big difference as did the direction of the lake effect winds.  During the 1984 storm, a few miles difference would make all the difference between 2+ feet and only a few inches.

This is a nice write up!

 

The PRISM data, which I know you know about, indicates that the northern wasatch front areas are on average considerably wetter than the Salt Lake Valley. But there are some exceptions, which you indicated. I think for the wasatch front areas, the snowiest by far is north of me in the Ogden Valley (east of Ogden.) You can read a blog about it here: http://wasatchweatherweenies.blogspot.com/2017/02/snowpack-extraordinaire-north-ogden.htmlBountiful itself does well because of the bowl shape of the mountains around it. They tend to enhance convergence and result in a little extra moisture falling than might otherwise occur.

 

As in all mountainous areas, flow is everything here. I've seen it happen a number of times where big snow totals are not far away from little to no snow. My biggest storm was in Dec 2015. I ended up with 19" of actual depth, so probably more like 25-30" actually fell. It was quite a storm. This year I've had two 13" storms, but nothing larger. 

Winter 23-24: Total Snow (3.2")    Total Ice (0.2")     Coldest Low: 1F     Coldest High: 5F

Snow Events: 0.1" Jan 5th, 0.2" Jan 9th, 1.6" Jan 14, 0.2" (ice) Jan 22, 1.3" Feb 12

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a nice write up!

 

The PRISM data, which I know you know about, indicates that the northern wasatch front areas are on average considerably wetter than the Salt Lake Valley. But there are some exceptions, which you indicated. I think for the wasatch front areas, the snowiest by far is north of me in the Ogden Valley (east of Ogden.) You can read a blog about it here: http://wasatchweatherweenies.blogspot.com/2017/02/snowpack-extraordinaire-north-ogden.htmlBountiful itself does well because of the bowl shape of the mountains around it. They tend to enhance convergence and result in a little extra moisture falling than might otherwise occur.

 

As in all mountainous areas, flow is everything here. I've seen it happen a number of times where big snow totals are not far away from little to no snow. My biggest storm was in Dec 2015. I ended up with 19" of actual depth, so probably more like 25-30" actually fell. It was quite a storm. This year I've had two 13" storms, but nothing larger. 

Interesting. I was certain that LCC was king because NW flow was the predominant snow producing flow b/c of the lake. I guess it turns out SW flow favored locations still get the most snow even in Utah.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The PRISM data, which I know you know about, indicates that the northern wasatch front areas are on average considerably wetter than the Salt Lake Valley. But there are some exceptions, which you indicated. I think for the wasatch front areas, the snowiest by far is north of me in the Ogden Valley (east of Ogden.)

 

 

The Ogden area itself and the Ogden benches seem to get a bit less snow than the Salt Lake Valley (or Bountiful) benches (at least according to several of the weather stations), but the area north of Ogden, or more specifically North and Northeast of North Ogden does get a lot of snow, especially on the Chilly Peak-Ben Lomond-Willard Peak Ridge.    (The mountains east of Ogden do get a lot as well).

 

Even though SNOTEL sites aren't official weather stations, they probably do measure precipitation as well as the official weather stations.   If you do count the SNOTELs, the Ben Lomond Peak  SNOTEL at 7689 feet elevation has the record for the wettest year in Utah and the wettest average precipitation.   It also holds the record for the snowiest month on record.     Of course since the weather station is almost 2000 feet below the summit, the precipitation is even greater on the summit.

 

I do wonder if some mountain tops in the area get more snow though.  Mount Ogden does just touch timberline, indicating very heavy snowfall considering it's elevation.  The snowfields on Thruston Peak do outlast that of the ones on Ben Lomond, but Thurston Peak probably acts more as a snow fence.

 

Also of interest (this may be a little off topic), there is a snowfield on the south wall of Weber Canyon at 6600 feet that last year round in most years.  There's another one at about 7000 feet (part of the snowfield is below 7000 feet) that almost always last year round as well (you have to know where to look to find or view either one).  It is really rare for this one to melt (even in drought years I never saw it completely disappear, but it may do so in extreme drought conditions). Although the snowfields are fed by avalanche accumulations, it is still quite remarkable that they usually last year round (especially the second one mentioned), considering their elevations.   These are probably the lowest elevation snowfields in the state that usually last year round.

 

There are a few (also avalanche fed) snowfields on the north face of Mount Olympus at an elevation down to just below 7000 feet that usually last until sometime in August (early July in extreme drought years), but it is rare to have them last year round.   I have only seen it happen a few times (such as in 1993).    

 

The avalanche cones on Roberts Horn also seemingly never disappear (they even outlast the surface snow on the Timp "Glacier") and are at 8800 feet and are probably the lowest snowfeilds in the mountains surrounding the Utah Valley that are permanent (unless extreme drought years have wiped them out, but they did outlast the Timp "Glacier".

 

Year round snow and icefields in the Wasatch are pretty rare and seem to be getting rarer as time passes.  Most are at much higher elevations though. There are at least two possible glaciers in the Wasatch, but one of them is buried under talus and is usually invisible as a glacier until one of the small crevasses opens up (which only happens every few decades).   The other is in a really inaccessible area and almost know one knows about the possible glacier.  It does have a real crevasse in it after the surface snow melts.

 

If you know just where to look and the lighting is just right, there is one permanent icefield (though an extreme drought could wipe it out) visible from the Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake Valley.  I thought it disappeared in the horribly dry year of 1994, but I went up there to see it, and it was still there, but camouflaged.    I moved from the valley in 2001, so I don't know if it managed to survive the severely dry years and hot summers of 2002 and 2003, but I assume that it did.

 

I was certain that LCC was king because NW flow was the predominant snow producing flow b/c of the lake. I guess it turns out SW flow favored locations still get the most snow even in Utah.

 

 

It's hard to pinpoint the exact location that is king.   What is know for sure is that the Alta Guard Station is the snowiest official weather station in Utah, but the Ben Lomond Peak SNOTEL is snowier and the snowiest un-official weather station.   There are probably other places in the Wasatch that exceed both locations.   Hidden Peak (Snowbird Ski Resort summit) has an estimated annual average snowfall of 732 inches, which may exceed that of Ben Lomond, even on the summit.

 

My own thought is that the Thunder Bowl may be the snowiest place in the Wasatch (and thus Utah), but the summit area of Ben Lomond and the area around Thurston Peak are other possibilities.   The bowl east of Norths Fork is another contender due to it's location and the fact that lake effect storms usually hit it head on, but since it's not as high as the Thunder Bowl, the Thunder Bowl probably has an edge.

 

In Colorado, the king is easier to point out.  It's the area around Mount Ethel in the northern Park Range.   The snowiest official weather station in Colorado is at Wolf Creek Pass, but the snowfall in the northern Park Range exceed this by a healthy margin.  The northern Park Range is the only place in Colorado where snowfalls are comparable to the snowiest places in the Wasatch.   As to which one is the snowiest would be a very close call, but my guess is that the snowiest place in the Wasatch may have a slight edge.    The northern Park Range does have more permanent snowfields though, but this can be attributed to the fact that the range acts more like a snow-fence than most of the Wasatch does.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Very warm weather lately, 3 days in a row above 70, with the warmest being 76F so far. Today should be in the mid 70s and tomorrow the upper 70s. 

We will cool a bit after that, but still way above normal for now. 

Winter 23-24: Total Snow (3.2")    Total Ice (0.2")     Coldest Low: 1F     Coldest High: 5F

Snow Events: 0.1" Jan 5th, 0.2" Jan 9th, 1.6" Jan 14, 0.2" (ice) Jan 22, 1.3" Feb 12

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been stuck in an awful dry/warm pattern since late January here. Only .25" of precip since 1/16 at DEN, very possibly the driest two month stretch I've seen in the 10 years I've been here. 

 

After the second warmest February on record, we're on pace for one of the warmest and driest Marches on record. And after DEN broke their February record with 80 last month, it looks like they may challenge the March record of 84 tomorrow. 

 

Just insane.

A forum for the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been stuck in an awful dry/warm pattern since late January here. Only .25" of precip since 1/16 at DEN, very possibly the driest two month stretch I've seen in the 10 years I've been here. 

 

After the second warmest February on record, we're on pace for one of the warmest and driest Marches on record. And after DEN broke their February record with 80 last month, it looks like they may challenge the March record of 84 tomorrow. 

 

Just insane.

 

Whenever you have insanely long runs with nice weather there... its absolutely hideous up here.  

 

The inverse seems to be true as well.    All for obvious reasons of course.

**REPORTED CONDITIONS AND ANOMALIES ARE NOT MEANT TO IMPLY ANYTHING ON A REGIONAL LEVEL UNLESS SPECIFICALLY STATED**

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whenever you have insanely long runs with nice weather there... its absolutely hideous up here.  

 

The inverse seems to be true as well.    All for obvious reasons of course.

 

Everything is brown and ugly here right now. The weather may be "nice", but some rain/snow would help make things much more enjoyable.

A forum for the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everything is brown and ugly here right now. The weather may be "nice", but some rain/snow would help make things much more enjoyable.

 

Yes... some kind of compromise would be nice between endless rain here and no rain there.   Nature can be very stubborn.

**REPORTED CONDITIONS AND ANOMALIES ARE NOT MEANT TO IMPLY ANYTHING ON A REGIONAL LEVEL UNLESS SPECIFICALLY STATED**

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whenever you have insanely long runs with nice weather there... its absolutely hideous up here.  

 

The inverse seems to be true as well.    All for obvious reasons of course.

Inverse is not true. It's very hard to get constant clouds east of Cascades/Tahoe. Like we got a couple cool & clear nights and 3 or 4. sunny days here in Missoula despite being SE of the same trough as you guys are. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inverse is not true. It's very hard to get constant clouds east of Cascades/Tahoe. Like we got a couple cool & clear nights and 3 or 4. sunny days here in Missoula despite being SE of the same trough as you guys are.

Over the last few weeks only W OR, N ID, NW MT, parts of WY and all of WA have been abnormally wet across the west.

Bend, OR

Elevation: 3550'

 

Snow History:

Nov: 1"

Dec: .5"

Jan: 1.9"

Feb: 12.7"

Mar: 1.0"

Total: 17.1"

 

2016/2017: 70"

2015/2016: 34"

Average: ~25"

 

2017/2018 Winter Temps

Lowest Min: 1F on 2/23

Lowest Max: 23F on 12/24, 2/22

Lows <32: 87

Highs <32: 13

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inverse is not true. It's very hard to get constant clouds east of Cascades/Tahoe. Like we got a couple cool & clear nights and 3 or 4. sunny days here in Missoula despite being SE of the same trough as you guys are. 

 

I remember times when it was very wet and cool in Denver for long stretches and was unusually nice here at the same time.   

**REPORTED CONDITIONS AND ANOMALIES ARE NOT MEANT TO IMPLY ANYTHING ON A REGIONAL LEVEL UNLESS SPECIFICALLY STATED**

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inverse is not true. It's very hard to get constant clouds east of Cascades/Tahoe. Like we got a couple cool & clear nights and 3 or 4. sunny days here in Missoula despite being SE of the same trough as you guys are.

You are oversimplifying things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been stuck in an awful dry/warm pattern since late January here. Only .25" of precip since 1/16 at DEN, very possibly the driest two month stretch I've seen in the 10 years I've been here. 

 

After the second warmest February on record, we're on pace for one of the warmest and driest Marches on record. And after DEN broke their February record with 80 last month, it looks like they may challenge the March record of 84 tomorrow. 

 

Just insane.

 

Ridge has even been strong enough to pump off and on warmth up here to SW Montana as well. Popped up to a record high of 74º here in Bozeman yesterday blowing away the old record high of 66º set back in 1972. Also running a +6º departure so far this month with below average precip. Although we should start to make up on the precip deficient over the next few days with an active pattern setting up over the region.

 

Otherwise, it has been a very benign late winter / early spring up here in the Northern Rockies as well. Wouldn't mind seeing another good snowstorm or two before summer sets in here.

Cold Season 2023/24:

Total snowfall: 26"

Highest daily snowfall: 5"

Deepest snow depth: 12"

Coldest daily high: -20ºF

Coldest daily low: -42ºF

Number of subzero days: 5

Personal Weather Station on Wunderground: 

https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KMTBOZEM152#history

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everything is brown and ugly here right now. The weather may be "nice", but some rain/snow would help make things much more enjoyable.

 

This sounds much like the weather CA experienced back in 2014 and 2015, but all of CA has been much wetter this year. The hills here in Socal are the greenest that I have seen them in quite a long time.

 

I would think with all the rain in CA this year that some of it would have made it into your area as the storm systems trekked eastward, but the rain shadow of the Sierras and Rockies and the general flow pattern must be unfavorable for bringing good precip totals to the greater Denver metro area in the type of weather patterns that have prevailed this season.

 

Hope your area gets some good rain / snow totals soon to help green up things a bit going into spring!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Up to 71F so far, so that makes 7 in a row of 70+. Tomorrow will be the 8th and final day for a while. 

Winter 23-24: Total Snow (3.2")    Total Ice (0.2")     Coldest Low: 1F     Coldest High: 5F

Snow Events: 0.1" Jan 5th, 0.2" Jan 9th, 1.6" Jan 14, 0.2" (ice) Jan 22, 1.3" Feb 12

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Up to 71F so far, so that makes 7 in a row of 70+. Tomorrow will be the 8th and final day for a while. 

 

Wow, just incredible warmth for the region.

 

Been lightly snowing here all day with temps in the mid 30's but no accumulation obviously. Maybe we'll see a little accumulation tonight if we can hold on to enough moisture. 

Cold Season 2023/24:

Total snowfall: 26"

Highest daily snowfall: 5"

Deepest snow depth: 12"

Coldest daily high: -20ºF

Coldest daily low: -42ºF

Number of subzero days: 5

Personal Weather Station on Wunderground: 

https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KMTBOZEM152#history

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Six straight days of 70+ here, 13 such days already this year. Looks like the streak will end tomorrow, and then finally some precip likely towards the end of the week.

 

One small storm in the past two months, otherwise hardly anything meaningful. Quite the pathetic stretch.

A forum for the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DEN somehow made it briefly to 70 today, extending their streak to 7 days. Only topped out at 61 here.

 

Looks like the next two days will reach 70+. 9 straight 70+ days in March has got to be a record, just unreal. 

 

Can't wait until Friday, when temps should stay in the 40s with a good amount of rain.

A forum for the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DEN somehow made it briefly to 70 today, extending their streak to 7 days. Only topped out at 61 here.

 

Looks like the next two days will reach 70+. 9 straight 70+ days in March has got to be a record, just unreal. 

 

Can't wait until Friday, when temps should stay in the 40s with a good amount of rain.

 

I wonder if your area will see some significant snow in April to make up for some of this really warm weather you have been experiencing? I just heard on TWC the other day that March and April usually are the snowiest months of the year for the greater Denver area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if your area will see some significant snow in April to make up for some of this really warm weather you have been experiencing? I just heard on TWC the other day that March and April usually are the snowiest months of the year for the greater Denver area.

 

March and April are the snowiest months in many areas within the Rockies historically. The mean trough position this year has been centered over the PNW while nearly stationary and not very progressive. That NPAC block has been amazingly resilient this year.

 

The models have been hinting of a more progressive pattern as we head into April so it's quite possible that some areas within the Intermountain West see their greatest snowfalls of the year next month. I wouldn't mind seeing another April 2009 here in Bozeman when we received 50" of snowfall.

Cold Season 2023/24:

Total snowfall: 26"

Highest daily snowfall: 5"

Deepest snow depth: 12"

Coldest daily high: -20ºF

Coldest daily low: -42ºF

Number of subzero days: 5

Personal Weather Station on Wunderground: 

https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KMTBOZEM152#history

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A bit cooler today, but should still manage low-mid 60s. Anyway we are also under a marginal severe risk. Looks like some good cells should fire up this afternoon. 

Winter 23-24: Total Snow (3.2")    Total Ice (0.2")     Coldest Low: 1F     Coldest High: 5F

Snow Events: 0.1" Jan 5th, 0.2" Jan 9th, 1.6" Jan 14, 0.2" (ice) Jan 22, 1.3" Feb 12

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if your area will see some significant snow in April to make up for some of this really warm weather you have been experiencing? I just heard on TWC the other day that March and April usually are the snowiest months of the year for the greater Denver area.

Hopefully they can, or this will be a long burn season. 

Winter 23-24: Total Snow (3.2")    Total Ice (0.2")     Coldest Low: 1F     Coldest High: 5F

Snow Events: 0.1" Jan 5th, 0.2" Jan 9th, 1.6" Jan 14, 0.2" (ice) Jan 22, 1.3" Feb 12

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if your area will see some significant snow in April to make up for some of this really warm weather you have been experiencing? I just heard on TWC the other day that March and April usually are the snowiest months of the year for the greater Denver area.

 

March is the snowiest month on average here. April averages slightly less than a couple other months. But most years we generally do see at least one big storm in the Mar-Apr period.

A forum for the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hopefully they can, or this will be a long burn season. 

 

No kidding. We've been seeing wildfires already the past couple weeks, earlier than any other year I can recall. 

 

Fortunately, it looks as though the pattern will be cooler and potentially wetter for a bit after tomorrow.

  • Like 1

A forum for the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No kidding. We've been seeing wildfires already the past couple weeks, earlier than any other year I can recall. 

 

Fortunately, it looks as though the pattern will be cooler and potentially wetter for a bit after tomorrow.

 

I saw that there was a brush fire the other day in the Boulder area. Hopefully they got it under control by now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

March and April are the snowiest months in many areas within the Rockies historically. The mean trough position this year has been centered over the PNW while nearly stationary and not very progressive. That NPAC block has been amazingly resilient this year.

 

The models have been hinting of a more progressive pattern as we head into April so it's quite possible that some areas within the Intermountain West see their greatest snowfalls of the year next month. I wouldn't mind seeing another April 2009 here in Bozeman when we received 50" of snowfall.

How did that happen?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How did that happen?

 

Transition months (November/April) can go big or bust here in Bozeman. March has the greatest monthly average snowfall averaging ~16" of snowfall. April follows closely behind at ~13" so it's not all that unusual to see 20"+ of snowfall in April on any given year here. April 2009 really stands out though and as you can see it also holds the all-time monthly snowfall record.

 

FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL...SOME SNOW RECORDS HAVE ALSO FALLEN. AT

BOZEMAN MSU...49.4 INCHES OF SNOW HAVE FALLEN. THIS EXCEEDS THE

RECORD OF 37 INCHES IN APRIL 1955. THIS IS ALSO THE MOST MEASURED IN

ANY MONTH AT BOZEMAN MSU. THE OLD RECORD WAS 44.3 INCHES IN NOVEMBER

1941. THIS IS ALSO THE WETTEST APRIL OF RECORD...4.40 INCHES OF

PRECIPITATION HAS FALLEN. THE OLD RECORD WAS 3.59 INCHES IN 1912 AND

2003. 

Cold Season 2023/24:

Total snowfall: 26"

Highest daily snowfall: 5"

Deepest snow depth: 12"

Coldest daily high: -20ºF

Coldest daily low: -42ºF

Number of subzero days: 5

Personal Weather Station on Wunderground: 

https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KMTBOZEM152#history

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Transition months (November/April) can go big or bust here in Bozeman. March has the greatest monthly average snowfall averaging ~16" of snowfall. April follows closely behind at ~13" so it's not all that unusual to see 20"+ of snowfall in April on any given year here. April 2009 really stands out though and as you can see it also holds the all-time monthly snowfall record.

 

FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL...SOME SNOW RECORDS HAVE ALSO FALLEN. AT

BOZEMAN MSU...49.4 INCHES OF SNOW HAVE FALLEN. THIS EXCEEDS THE

RECORD OF 37 INCHES IN APRIL 1955. THIS IS ALSO THE MOST MEASURED IN

ANY MONTH AT BOZEMAN MSU. THE OLD RECORD WAS 44.3 INCHES IN NOVEMBER

1941. THIS IS ALSO THE WETTEST APRIL OF RECORD...4.40 INCHES OF

PRECIPITATION HAS FALLEN. THE OLD RECORD WAS 3.59 INCHES IN 1912 AND

2003. 

Yea I figured all the spring snowfalls are episodic. So is there a break down of accumulation, was it just two big storms or many small events?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yea I figured all the spring snowfalls are episodic. So is there a break down of accumulation, was it just two big storms or many small events?

 

It was several events throughout the month. Couple of 10-12" storms with several 4-8" snowfalls that added up throughout the month. Heaviest storm period seemed to focus from mid month on when it snowed almost everyday. Just an incredible month. 

 

Highly doubt we'll see another 2009 but I like the pattern progression we are beginning to see as we head into April. Looks like we may finally see the mean trough position progress inland more. After a mainly dry and snowless March a pattern change would be very welcome!

Cold Season 2023/24:

Total snowfall: 26"

Highest daily snowfall: 5"

Deepest snow depth: 12"

Coldest daily high: -20ºF

Coldest daily low: -42ºF

Number of subzero days: 5

Personal Weather Station on Wunderground: 

https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KMTBOZEM152#history

Link to comment
Share on other sites

April 2009 was fairly snowy here, but nothing like that.

 

However, April 2013 had a couple of huge storms and set the Boulder record for April snowfall with 47.6".

 

Amazingly, Boulder has set three monthly snowfall records in the past 10 winters:

 

Feb 2015: 54.6"

April 2013: 47.6"

Dec 2006: 45.5"

 

Figures we were due for a dud (the last one was 2010-11). 2016-17 is at about 50% of normal snowfall to date.

A forum for the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was several events throughout the month. Couple of 10-12" storms with several 4-8" snowfalls that added up throughout the month. Heaviest storm period seemed to focus from mid month on when it snowed almost everyday. Just an incredible month. 

 

Highly doubt we'll see another 2009 but I like the pattern progression we are beginning to see as we head into April. Looks like we may finally see the mean trough position progress inland more. After a mainly dry and snowless March a pattern change would be very welcome!

Don't you need cutoff lows for a big snowfall in April, not just a regular trough like you do in winter? I think the big reason Kalispell and Missoula don't do well in spring snow wise besides our elevation is because we're about 100 miles too far west for cutoff lows to really impact us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today is going to be one of the wettest days on record at KSLC. I don't remember if measurements start at midnight or 1 am right now...but at any rate 1.6 to 1.7" of rain so far, with more to go. 

It will be the wettest March day on record with more precip than we average in the entire month. 

  • Like 3

Winter 23-24: Total Snow (3.2")    Total Ice (0.2")     Coldest Low: 1F     Coldest High: 5F

Snow Events: 0.1" Jan 5th, 0.2" Jan 9th, 1.6" Jan 14, 0.2" (ice) Jan 22, 1.3" Feb 12

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today is going to be one of the wettest days on record at KSLC. I don't remember if measurements start at midnight or 1 am right now...but at any rate 1.6 to 1.7" of rain so far, with more to go.

 

It will be the wettest March day on record with more precip than we average in the entire month.

Awesome. Hopefully this storm is still pretty juicy when it reaches this area tonight!

A forum for the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...