[pct-l] Record snow levels in Washington bad news for SOBOs

[Tom Griffin]

Looks like 2008 is going to be a bad year for southbounders on the PCT, 
although it is early in the season and it is possible the snowpack could 
melt quickly. Here are portions from an article from today's Seattle Times:

Snowfall this season could match record

By Sharon Pian Chan
Seattle Times staff reporter

If the current weather holds out, snowfall could match the historical 
record set in 1998-99 when the last strong La Nina rolled in from the 
Pacific Ocean.

A half-month ago, Western Washington's snowpack was about 50 to 70 
percent of normal. Since then, snowpack has jumped to 30 to 50 percent 
above average, which could make for a good water year at local utilities 
and hydroelectric plants.

"It's amazing -- 1998-99 was our last really big snow season," said 
Garth Ferber, avalanche meteorologist for the Northwest Weather and 
Avalanche Center. "If this keeps up, we'll match that at least."

It's too early to tell, with several months still left in the season. 
But water experts say it's unlikely that the rain will stop and the air 
will turn warm in the near future.

The season has already proven the deadliest for avalanches in the state, 
with nine people killed or presumed dead since Dec. 1. Ferber said the 
death toll is unprecedented, and encouraged people heading into the snow 
to take precautions. That includes keeping to ridges and valley floors, 
avoiding steep, open slopes and packing an emergency camp. People 
without backcountry training should stick to controlled areas such as 
ski resorts, he said.

In an intense La Nina year, temperature patterns in the Pacific cause 
changes in the weather pattern. In the Pacific Northwest, temperatures 
drop and more precipitation falls.

The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center reported 224 inches of snow 
at Mount Baker, 184 inches at Stevens Pass, 187 inches at Snoqualmie 
Pass and 218 inches at Paradise on Mount Rainier.

The ski resort at Crystal Mountain said it had 30 percent more snow than 
usual, about 200 inches, for this time of year. Tiana Enger, spokeswoman 
for Crystal, said the resort has never had an avalanche or fatality in 
the patrolled area where they control for avalanches.

More snowpack could also be a boon for spawning salmon later this year. 
Tom Fox, water-resources manager for Seattle Public Utilities, said that 
in the utilities' last measurement, snowpack was 110 to 120 percent of 
normal.

(c) 2008 Seattle Times

-------------------------------------------------------- 
Tom Griffin
Seattle
PCT Pages: http://home.comcast.net/~griffinte/pct.html