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[pct-l] Real Time Snow levels/Temps



Real time snow depths are available online from remote sensors along the PCT. 
Remember that these sensors weigh the snow, and give depth  in water equivalent, so to get the depth of the snow (at season average density) double the number, so 26 inches of water, is about 52 inches of snow.

Charlotte Lakes:
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/plotReal?staid=CRL
Bishop Pass:
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/plotReal?staid=BSH 

Looks like Crabtree Meadow and Tyndall Creek are off-line or having problems
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow/pillowplots/Kern.html

The map interface to the index of these sensors is at
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow/

What's really neat is the real time temperature data. At 7am today at Bishop Pass, it was +4F, and the high yesterday was 12F. A bit chilly!
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/plotReal?staid=BSH

Looking at the historical data, it looks like we are now about the same as '94,'96,'99, but as we have seen in the past, spring weather dictates the snowmelt which is more important to the Thru-Hiker than the March 1st snow depth. A friend of mine who works for the snow survey told me that melt rate is governed by the amount of sunlight that the snow gets, NOT air temperature or rain. Overcast skies in the spring will greatly slow the snowmelt.



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