[pct-l] JMT--Actual Snow Amounts 3/25-4/2

[Herb Stroh]

The message below was posted on the JMT Yahoo Board yesterday by John Dittli and reposted here with permission. Part of what John gets to do is measure snow levels in the Sierra every year. Here is what they latest survey's show:

Hi all

We have just finished measuring the April 1 snow courses (I just came out from Charlotte Lake today). The actual field measurements paint perhaps a slightly better picture than the telemetry sites have been suggesting but still not that great.

Rather than post all the courses (unless you all want that), this is the synopsis along the JMT. The south end is again drier than the north this year with Crabtree Meadow measuring 37% of average. The sites incrementally increase to 57% at Bear Ridge and then 64% at Tuolumne Meadows. These measurements are generally done at  or near 10,000'

Due to prolonged cloudless periods this winter, many of the south facing slopes at lower elevations are already bare or nearly so.

I saw somewhere here a reference to Mammoth Mountains snow data. While this data is good if you are going skiing there, it is anomalis and has little bearing on actual backcountry snow quantities. It is better to check out actual backcountry data on the CDEC site.

The above comments are my own and do not represent that of the State of California Department Water Resources.

JD
Walk the Sky: Following the John Muir Trail
<http://www.johndittli.com>

(To see some fantastic photos of the Sierra check out John's website)

Herb


Herb Stroh  |  Partner
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