March and April really were huge for Tahoe. Without all the snow that fell during those two months, we’da been hurting pretty bad and it really coulda been the worst season in recorded history.
SQUAW SNOW NUMBERS 2011/12:
– October 5th – February 19th = 142” of snow
– March 1 – April 19th = 212” of snow
– Season total to date = 354” of snow
This graph says it all. We had a rough year this year in Tahoe. Real rough.
It also can help us celebrate how good last year was. Last year was thru the roof on this chart.
TAHOE SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT NUMBERS:
– Current as a percentage of average = 49%
– Current as a percentage of last year = 28%
The snowfall in March and April gave the Sierra snowpack a boost, but it is still well below average. The graph above shows the snow water equivalent (SWE) from the current water year through April 11th, the average water year (1971-2000), and the 2010-2011 water year. The SWE for this water year through April 11th is approximately 11 inches, compared to over 40 inches this time last year. The measurements are based on provisional SNOTEL data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service as of April 11th . Snow water equivalent is the approximate amount of liquid water in the snowpack. – noaa.gov
This numbers are interesting to look at. We’re gonna give Randal Osterhuber a call over at the Donner Summit Snow Lab and get some more numbers for you guys this week.
March and April were pretty sweet in Tahoe. Thank Mother Nature for that late season comeback.