We Have How Much Snow?
For those of us who live in the lower elevations of the Weiser River Basin, it may seem like there is not much snowpack this year. We’ve had a few snow falls, but they’ve been followed by rain and warm temperatures, and we are left with bare grass.
Surprisingly, according to National Weather Service hydrologist Troy Lindquist in Boise, the Weiser River Basin actually has 139 percent of its average snowpack as of last week.
Erin Whorton, Water Supply Specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Services (USDA) said the Weiser River Basin has four snowtels in the area which monitor precipitation, temperature, snowpack, and depth. The data from these stations is collected every fifteen minutes and sent to the Boise office every hour.
She said that as of January 14th, the combined total of the information collected at these sites showed the Weiser River Basin snowpack is 145 percent of normal.
Whorton added that the short-range forecast indicates we will have cold and dry weather, but she said that while no snowpack will be added, none will melt during the next few days.
She said that we are in the midst of a La Nina winter which means our area should be colder and wetter than usual.
The four weather stations are: Van Wyck, Headwaters site located east of Crane Creek, at 4,960 feet elevation, Bear Saddle, located in the mountains west of Council at 6,170 feet elevation, Puhi Flat, located just north of Tamarack Ski Area at an elevation of 6,240 feet elevation and West Branch, located northwest of New Meadows at an elevation of 5,590 feet.
Whorton said, “Currently, the lower elevation stations have below normal snowpack. Van Wick is at 81 percent of normal, and it is the station at the lowest elevation, but Bear Saddle has a snowpack of 181 percent of normal.”
