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[pct-l] Snow



Lonetrail's forecast may be a little extreme on the "sky is falling" end 
of the spectrum. While it's possible snow may not melt out on sections 
of the trail, it would be a faint possibility based on the last 20 year 
snow averages. 

Remember a rule of thumb is for every inch of snow water content you can 
guess one and a half to two inches of depth - depending on consolidation. 

At Tuolomne Meadows the deepest snowwater year in the past 25 years was 
1983.   The snow sensor reported no snow on July 1 after peaking at 53" 
on May 3.  This same year the snowwater content was 66" at Tyndall Creek 
snowsensor on May 5 or so.  It registered 0 for the first time on July 
25 or so.  In 1998 it melted out about July 15.  That was a big snow 
year too, but not quite as big.  In 1998 Charlotte Lake melted out about 
July 10. 

Interestingly enough, Agnew Pass had 70 inchs of water content on June 
13 in 1993, and melted out to 0 on July 11.  Bishop Pass in 1998 had 49 
inches of snow water content on May 15, and melted out to 0 on July 19.  
Echo Lake had 80" of water content on May 20 in 1993.  It melted out on 
July 2. 

Squaw Valley sensor had 110" on May 15, 1983 and melted out by July 25. 

For southbounders, the lowest snow year at Harts Pass from 1983 through 
2000 was 1998, where on May 10 there was 30" of snow water content.  
This year there is 14.2 inches of snow water content.  In 1998 the snow 
was gone on June 14.  Rainy Pass in 1994 had 25 inchs of snow water 
content on May 1 and 0 inchs on June 1.  It has 6" right now. 

Those leaving from Canada in the middle of June will hit the Sierra in 
the last two weeks of September or first week in October.  I would 
"guess" that if there is snow on the ground anywhere, it will be new 
snow, and the first or second storm of winter...  Oh sweet trepidation!!! 

This is fun!!!

Jeff Olson
Laramie WY, 31 days from the first step... 



Lonetrail@aol.com wrote:

>The snow depth at 11,050 foot Cottonwood Pass is 62.7 inches says Mike  
>Dawson of the Trail Association. Thru Hikers should make plans to by-pass the  
>blocked sections of the trail. It is very possible the snow will not melt  this 
>summer. For info go to _www.pcta.org_ (http://www.pcta.org) 
> 
>Lonetrail
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