Friday, August 12, 2011

Paradise Snowpack Update

There is still a remarkable 27 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) at the Paradise SNOTEL on Mount Rainier (5120 feet).


That's even more than was on the ground in their biggest maximum SWE year, although I don't have data for all the years to see if it is presently a record for the date.

Weather cameras from around Paradise indicate discontinuous snow coverage, so the SNOTEL must be sited in a sun-sheltered area.

Looking north at Mt. Rainier from the Paradise Visitor Center
Source: NPS
Looking west from the Paradise Visitor Center
Source: NPS
Meanwhile, in Utah, people are still skiing the Baldy Main Chute.  I wonder if an intrepid soul has tempted the Pipeline lately as the coverage appears to be continuous in the Snowbird web cam.

Source: Snowbird
For you ski and snowboard diehards, this is about as close to endless winter as you can come.

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