Another major storm brings 2-5 ft snow Jan28-Feb1!

My sincerest apologies to Amar for hijacking his good news thread. Your analysis is greatly appreciated.

No problem, it's OK, thanks.


[hr]Storm Summary: (belated post, partially written February 1, but not completed and posted at that time)

The model predictions for Washington and northern Oregon largely verified, although the largest snowfall amounts were received at elevations above the measurement sites. Snowfall amounts were up to 2-3 ft from Alpental and Snoqualmie Pass south to Mount Hood in Oregon, with much smaller amounts of about 1 ft or less in the Olympics, North Cascades, and farther south in the Oregon Cascades. Maximum precipitation amounts of 5-7" were received on both Mounts Saint Helens and Hood, but much of that fell during the early part of the storm when snow levels were 7000-8000 ft -- snowfall amounts of 4-5 ft were likely received on both mountains above those elevations.

The very high snowfall amounts of 3-5 ft predicted for the southern Sierra Nevada do not appear to have verified at any measurement sites, with about 1-2 ft in the high Sierra Nevada especially from south Lake Tahoe to Mammoth Mountain, but unfortunately the very low snowfall amounts (near zero) predicted for northernmost California including the California Cascades did verify: Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak received only a few inches once again, and snowdepths remain near-zero (less than 1 ft) on both mountains.


Table of total snowfall and precip: (some amounts may be approximate) for the 4 day period from January 28 through Saturday, February 1, along with the increase in snowdepth from January 28 up to the maximum depth reached during this storm cycle (mostly on January 31 in WA, February 1 in OR)
[tt]
                                         Total      Snowdepth      Total
Measurement Site            Elevation   Snowfall   Jan28 >>> Max   Precip   Notes

---

======= Washington =======
Hurricane Ridge               5250 ft     0.8 ft    25" >>>  33"     1.1"
Mt Baker Ski Area             4200 ft     0.7 ft    79" >>>  86"     ?     (snowdepth & precip flaky)
Mt Baker, MF Nooksack         4970 ft     1 ft      72" >>>  81"     1.5"  (NW side of Mt Baker)
Mt Baker, Marten Ridge        3520 ft     0.5 ft    51" >>>  57"     2"    (E side of Mt Baker)
Mt Baker, Elbow Lake          3040 ft     0.5 ft    28" >>>  34"     1.5"  (SW side of Mt Baker)
Brown Top SNOTEL              5830 ft     0.5 ft    79" >>>  85"     0.7"
Washington Pass               5450 ft     1 ft      45" >>>  56"     ?     (precip not working)
Stevens Pass                  5250 ft     1.5 ft    72" >>>  86"     --
Stevens Pass                  3950 ft     1.5 ft    48" >>>  62"     2"
Berne Snow Camp               2700 ft     1 ft       6" >>>  17"     1.5"
Lake Wenatchee                1930 ft     1 ft       0" >>>  10"     1"
Mission Ridge                 5160 ft     0.5 ft    18" >>>  22"     0.6"
Top of Alpental               5470 ft     3 ft      84" >>> 107"     --    (snowdepth uncertain?)
Alpental Base                 3100 ft     2 ft      35" >>>  58"     3.5"
Snoqualmie Pass               3000 ft     1.5 ft    27" >>>  45"     3.8"
Crystal Mtn, Green Valley     6230 ft     1 ft      61" >>>  70"     --
Crystal Mtn Base              4570 ft     0.5 ft    22" >>>  27"     1.8"
Mt Rainier, Sunrise           6400 ft     1 ft      34" >>>  43"     --
Mt Rainier, Paradise          5400 ft     2 ft      85" >>> 107"     3.5"
Mt Rainier, Longmire          2700 ft     0.8 ft     3" >>>   9"     1"
White Pass Ski Area (top)     5800 ft     1.5 ft    74" >>>  88"     2.5"
Mt Adams, Potato Hill         4510 ft     1 ft      36" >>>  43"     2"    (N side of Mt Adams)
Mt St Helens, Swift Creek     4440 ft     1.5 ft    30" >>>  43"     5.5"  (S side of St Helens)
Mt St Helens, Sheep Canyon    3990 ft     1 ft      23" >>>  34"     4.5"  (W side of St Helens)
Mt St Helens, June Lake       3440 ft     1.5 ft    18" >>>  32"     6"    (SE side of St Helens)

========= Oregon =========
Blazed Alder SNOTEL           3650 ft     2 ft      13" >>>  29"     6"    (NW of Mt Hood)
Mt Hood, Red Hill SNOTEL      4410 ft     1.5 ft    27" >>>  38"     5"    (N side of Mt Hood)
Mt Hood, Timberline           5880 ft     2 ft      60" >>>  75"     7.2"
Mt Hood, Test Site SNOTEL     5370 ft     2 ft      49" >>>  67"     5"    (just S of Timberline)
Mt Hood, Ski Bowl             5010 ft     1 ft      15" >>>  22"     4"    (S of Mt Hood)
Mt Hood, Meadows              5380 ft     1.5 ft    47" >>>  58"     5"
Mt Hood, Mud Ridge SNOTEL     4070 ft     0.5 ft    18" >>>  21"     3"    (S of Mt Hood)
Santiam Pass (Hogg Pass)      4790 ft     0.5 ft    13" >>>  16"     1.2"
Bear Grass SNOTEL             4720 ft     1 ft      21" >>>  27"     4.5"  (W of Mt Washington)
McKenzie Pass SNOTEL          4770 ft     0.5 ft    31" >>>  33"     4.5"  (near Obsidian Trailhead)
Three Creeks Meadow SNOTEL    5690 ft     0.3 ft?   13" >>>  13"     1.5"  (E of Three Sisters)
Mt Bachelor, West Village     6300 ft     0.5 ft    50" >>>  54"     --
Irish Taylor SNOTEL           5540 ft     0.5 ft    33" >>>  36"     3"    (SW of Mt Bachelor)
Willamette Pass, Cascade Smt  5100 ft     0.5 ft    25" >>>  28"     3.5"
Diamond Peak, Summit Lake     5610 ft     0.3 ft?   26" >>>  26"     1.5"  (S side of Diamond Peak)
Crater Lake, Park HQ          6470 ft     0.2 ft    16" >>>  15"     3.1"
[/tt]

This storm cycle was followed by an extended period of partly cloudy weather with snow showers in northern Oregon over the first 3 days of February, which brought an additional 1-1.5 ft of snow on Mounts Hood and Bachelor, with a few inches south to Crater Lake. Then a modified Arctic blast dove south into Washington and northern Oregon, with temperatures plunging below zero °F at most NWAC telemetry sites on February 5 and 6 . This was immediately followed by the next major storm system moving ashore in Oregon and northern California on the morning of February 6, with several feet of additional snowfall expected in those areas over the next several days -- especially welcome news in northern California which has suffered by far the worst drought of any mountain region in the US thus far this winter.