ALTA SNOWFALL TOTALS

[stefan]

how does this snow year compare with the past number of years?
i have kept track of the daily snowfall at alta, utah since fall 1997 (misplaced some previous years)
snow is measured at the collins plot, mid-mountain at elev. 9662'
here are the monthly totals for comparison.

<TABLE border="1" cellpadding="3">
<TR><TH rowspan="2"><TH colspan="9">ALTA SNOW MEASUREMENTS (monthly) <TH colspan="7">ALTA SNOW MEASUREMENTS (cumulative)
<TR><TH>oct<TH>nov<TH>dec<TH>jan<th>feb<th>mar<th> apr<th>total<th> •••• <th>oct-oct<TH>oct-nov<TH>oct-dec<TH>oct-jan<th>oct-feb<th>oct-mar<th>oct-apr
<TR><TH>avgerage
1980-2006<TD>48"<TD> 82" <TD>88" <TD>93" <TD>89" <TD>97" <TD>72" <TD>566"<TD><TD> 48"<TD> 130"<TD>218"<TH>311"</TH><TD>400"<TD>497" <TD>566"
<TR><TH>97-98<TD>64"<TD>44"<TD>77"<TD>138"<TD>164"<TD>89"<TD> 84"<TD>656"<TD><TD> 60"<TD> 104"<TD>181"<TH>319"</TH><TD>483"<TD>572" <TD>656"
<TR><TH>98-99<TD>38"<TD>79"<TD>51"<TD>104"<TD>86"<TD>33"<TD>8 0"<TD>471"<TD><TD> 38"<TD> 117"<TD>168"<TH>272"</TH><TD>358"<TD>391" <TD>471"
<TR><TH>99-00<TD>1"<TD>30"<TD>106"<TD>119"<TD>127"<TD>98"<TD> 20"<TD>501"<TD><TD> 1"<TD> 31"<TD>137"<TH>256"</TH><TD>383"<TD>481" <TD>501"
<TR><TH>00-01<TD>0"<TD>77"<TD>71"<TD>65"<TD>73"<TD>50"<TD>117 "<TD>453" <TD><TD>0"<TD> 77"<TD>148"<TH>213"</TH><TD>286"<TD>336" <TD>453"
<TR><TH>01-02<TD>10"<TD>145"<TD>90"<TD>71"<TD>50"<TD>133"<TD> 56"<TD>555" <TD><TD> 10"<TD> 155"<TD>245"<TH>316"</TH><TD>366"<TD>499" <TD>555"
<TR><TH>02-03<TD>42"<TD>41"<TD>62"<TD>42"<TD>88"<TD>95"<TD>68 "<TD>439"<TD> <TD>42"<TD> 83"<TD>145"<TH>187"</TH><TD>275"<TD>370" <TD>439"
<TR><TH>03-04<TD>0"<TD>141"<TD>144"<TD>80"<TD>118"<TD>71"<TD> 31"<TD>585"<TD> <TD> 0"<TD> 141"<TD>285"<TH>365"</TH><TD>483"<TD>554" <TD>585"
<TR><TH>04-05<TD>122"<TD>59"<TD>93"<TD>100"<TD>82"<TD>165"<TD >76"<TD>698"<TD><TD>122"<TD> 181"<TD>274"<TH>374"</TH><TD>456"<TD>621" <TD>698"
<TR><TH>05-06<TD>10"<TD>66"<TD>141"<TD>125"<TD>68"<TD>157"<TD >70"<TD>638" <TD><TD>10"<TD> 76"<TD>217"<TH>342"</TH><TD>410"<TD>568" <TD>638"
<TR><TH>06-07<TD>24"<TD>68"<TD>50"<TD>35"<TD>120"<TD>59"<TD>4 6"<TD>402" <TD><TD>24"<TD> 92"<TD>142"<TH>177"</TH><TD>297"<TD>356" <TD>402"
<TR><TH>07-08<TD>53"<TD>21.5"<TD>147"<TD>169"<TD>125"<TD> 93"<TD> 93"<TD> 702" <TD><TD> 53"<TD> 75"<TD>222" <TH>391"<TD>516"<TD> 609"<TD> 702"
<TR><TH>08-09<TD>0"<TD>76"<TD>116"<TD>119"<TD>98.5"<TD>155.5"<TD> <TD> <TD><TD> 0"<TD> 76" <TD> 192<TH>311"<TD>409.5"<TD> 565.5"<TD> </TABLE>




* apr '01, apr '05, apr '08 reflect total through end of april, rather than through closing date

feel free to point out any inaccuracies




some storms worth noting

nov 22-26, 2001 ~ back in nov. 2001, there was an amazing pair of storms, combined with orographic and lake-effect processes, that hit the wasatch. alta ski area recorded 108" in a little over 100 hours. the storm started thanksgiving eve and brought alta's base from 9" to 80" in no time. alta didn't open until nov. 28. the ski patrol, and other lucky ones, enjoyed the wonderous snow before the general public, as alta was closed to uphill traffic. eh ... the patrolers certainly deserved it for all of their hard work

jan 5-6, 1994 ~ of course the record setting 24-hour period needs to be mentioned ... alta recorded 55.5" of snow

1983-1984 ~ biggest snow year on record. alta had an amazing year. some stats ... month of december had 225" of snow. 29 of 31 days of december had 6" or more! the alta season had 765" of 7.63% average snow. i believe there might have been 3 feet in the parking lot the night alta closed, and the total snowfall turned out to be some 808" of snow.
it was a good year to be skiing, the kind of year when there was always powder ... mmm

may/jun 1983 ~ this is when city creek canyon flooded from rapid melt-off, and they were sandbagging to maintain the river as it flooded and flowed through salt lake. i remember this vividly ... oh boy.



__________________________________________________ ___________

[greyhair biker]

I was there walking along the 'creek' coming through downtown SLC...maybe Ill try to find a picture of the bridge acros the street.
...damn, I've guess Ive been around...that was the year I got married

[stefan]

nice! 3rd largest march in some time