When it comes to our Sierra snowpack, just a couple of storms can make all the difference. As Jeff Anderson, hydrologist for NRCS Nevada told us, "You know we live in the Sierras, and the Sierras are known for these huge storms that just drop a whole bunch of snow all at once."
We were last up on the mountain to measure on January 2nd. It was during a bit of a dry stretch. The measurement that day said the snowpack was only 57% of average for that day. But ever since, the storms have been rolling in. As Anderson put it, "The good news is this year, we're already higher than the peak from last year."
It turns out, January and early February brought in a lot…a genuine atmospheric river. Chad Blanchard, the Federal Water Master for the Carson-Truckee Rivers told me, "We've received 8/10 of a foot rise on the lake, which is a tremendous amount of precipitation. You know what, I've been doing this for 25 years and they're all different. It's amazing how different...when the snow comes, how it comes, how much rain we get and how much snow.”
So, we were more eager than ever to measure the bounty of snow. Getting the physical measurement requires snowshoes...a 3/4 mile hike from Mt. Rose Highway, crossing a ski run to get to the measuring site. There we found thigh-high snow. 4 feet was added here from the last storm alone. Anderson put the pole in to measure the height. He said, "That just goes in so easy today. 10 feet, 120 inches there!"
The pole goes deep. Already, Jeff can tell that the amount of snow is about a month ahead of average, and 3 times the snow we had last year on this date. But more important than the amazing depth is the weight of the sample. The heavier it is, the more water content. The number comes in high, “Almost 3 feet of water equivalent. If we were to melt this down, it'd be up to our mid-thigh. We'd be in a big puddle!"
How much of a snowpack do we have? It’s a very important question for our water needs. Today, it stands at 130%. Jeff says it takes 5 storms like the one we just had to have an average winter. At this point, we need just 1 or 2 more...preferably with snow just like this. He describes it as, “The perfect kind of snow, because its light powder on top, but it still has a lot of water in it." Chad added, “Hopefully it'll keep coming, and we'll end up with a great year."
