Snow Extent in the Northern Hemisphere now Among the Highest in 56 years
https://www.severe-weather.eu/global-we ... -cold-rrc/
Early Snow extent
Forum rules
- This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
- Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
- Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
- Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
- Monte Meals
- Posts: 408
- Joined: 5/16/2011
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Early Snow extent
Hopefully Colorado will have a good snow year. It started out good, but has been dropping steadily. Most areas are below normal, but not terribly so. It's still too early in the season to see how thing will end up though.
I'm old, slow and fat. Unfortunately, those are my good qualities.
Re: Early Snow extent
This next storm will hopefully top off the reserves. Some of the northern and northwestern higher mountains will get at least a foot, maybe more.
This is the first November in a while that has felt wintry to me. Last year it had barely snowed at all, and we were still a month away from the most destructive wildfire in CO history.
This is the first November in a while that has felt wintry to me. Last year it had barely snowed at all, and we were still a month away from the most destructive wildfire in CO history.
Re: Early Snow extent
Certainly more snow here south of Montrose than last year.
Last year i made it to the East Dallas creek trailhead as late as December 4th., and the hike to lower blue lake was very comfortable, just used spikes.
This year, i barely made it to that same trailhead October 28th., and the hike to lower blue lake had more snow than i have seen there so early .
The last quarter mile before the lake, the snow was a little more than knee deep.
Last year i made it to the East Dallas creek trailhead as late as December 4th., and the hike to lower blue lake was very comfortable, just used spikes.
This year, i barely made it to that same trailhead October 28th., and the hike to lower blue lake had more snow than i have seen there so early .
The last quarter mile before the lake, the snow was a little more than knee deep.
Last edited by ltlFish99 on Thu Dec 08, 2022 3:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Dave B
- Posts: 2390
- Joined: 6/14/2010
- Trip Reports (9)
Re: Early Snow extent
Snow cover extent may be historically high across the northern hemisphere but that's not indicative of how much water is stored in high elevation snowpack, which is what's important for CO and still below average across most of the state. Granted, most of our snow is still yet to fall so looking at snow totals in late Nov is a bit like driving a road at night without headlights.
Make wilderness less accessible.
Re: Early Snow extent
Not sure that simile works here. Maybe more like recording the final score when the game is only five minutes in.
I do remember the alarming early melt off last spring in the San Juans. Leads me to think that even in average snowpack seasons, warmer average temperatures could lead to drought effects.
Traveling light is the only way to fly.
IG: @colorado_invasive
Strava: Brent Herring
IG: @colorado_invasive
Strava: Brent Herring
- Dave B
- Posts: 2390
- Joined: 6/14/2010
- Trip Reports (9)
Re: Early Snow extent
Fair enough, but hyperbole can be fun. Either way, we still don't know what's ahead of us.Jorts wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:30 amNot sure that simile works here. Maybe more like recording the final score when the game is only five minutes in.
I do remember the alarming early melt off last spring in the San Juans. Leads me to think that even in average snowpack seasons, warmer average temperatures could lead to drought effects.
I think a good portion of the early melt off last year was due to some big dust storms, but warm temps certainly exacerbated it.
Make wilderness less accessible.
-
- Posts: 114
- Joined: 5/5/2022
- 14ers: 43 1
- 13ers: 27 3
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Early Snow extent
Interesting link about the dust storms and their effects on snow melt. Thanks for sharingDave B wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:09 amFair enough, but hyperbole can be fun. Either way, we still don't know what's ahead of us.Jorts wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:30 amNot sure that simile works here. Maybe more like recording the final score when the game is only five minutes in.
I do remember the alarming early melt off last spring in the San Juans. Leads me to think that even in average snowpack seasons, warmer average temperatures could lead to drought effects.
I think a good portion of the early melt off last year was due to some big dust storms, but warm temps certainly exacerbated it.
- JTOlson26
- Posts: 462
- Joined: 4/21/2009
- 14ers: 20
- Trip Reports (1)
Re: Early Snow extent
Looks like a solid snow event over the past 24 hours, although not a huge event by any means. Reading Joel Gratz' forecast this morning, it appears Colorado will be in/around a stormy pattern with some nice refills over the next four or five days.