Snow pack

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Re: Snow pack

Post by Tsmith »

Old Man Winter is still holding his grip it seems. Looking now like it'll be another July opening of the GTTSR and later dates on those mountain pass hiking trails.
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Re: Snow pack

Post by toddnick »

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Last edited by toddnick on Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Snow pack

Post by toddnick »

That is good in some ways..It has been 70-80 degree weather in Buffalo the last week..crazy for this time of year.....

I liked it but have been really worried about wildfires in Glacier when I get there the last day of August....

Isn't it funny..I'd gladly accept bad weather in my "real world" for just three great weeks of weather come September....
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Re: Snow pack

Post by Ear Mountain »

Actually snowpack in the Northern Rockies is pretty close to the long term average. How high the snowpack gets will be dependent on the weather for the next two months. Some years with average snow at this time we get very little more, other years we get dumped on in the mountains during the so called spring. We just have to wait and see. In the meantime I'll enjoy the snow while we have it. Had a very nice relaxing ski along the Teton River ths morning.
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Re: Snow pack

Post by Pocketlint »

Yeah, Ralph is correct.
One note about the West side is that snowpack at lower elevations is below "normal" imo.
Up higher it is "normal"
However, it's a long way to July. Like Ralph said, we could get anything from very little to LOTS more snow. First year I lived here we got a dump 1st week of June that was nearly 4feet in some of the higher country.
I'd enjoy it more over here if it were nice "dry" snow we'd been getting.
Around here it's been that old wet nasty stuff mixed with a lot of rain. :(

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Re: Snow pack

Post by Ear Mountain »

Pete,
Is this the kind of snow you're looking for?
This was taken Wednesday March 21, 2012 at around noon on the South Fork of the Teton River west of Choteau. I had a nice two hour ski along the river. :mrgreen:

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Re: Snow pack

Post by trevbo »

Check out the snow pack figures for Flat top and Many Glacier http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/basi ... ionID=MANY

http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/basi ... ionID=FLAT

The grapsh don't show the actual snow depth; snow water equivalent, as I understand - it is a way of saying, if the snow melted, this is how deep the water would be. It has been dry on the prairies, at least further north here in S. Alberta... but mountain snowpack in Northern Montana and S. Alberta is looking like a repeat of last year's snowpack!

Akamina Pass in Waterton is above last year's high! http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/basi ... ionID=AKAM

It's April so too early to say what this means for sure... but I am thinking snow is going to linger on into the summer, making it interesting for accessing some areas/peaks. Yes I also buy lotto tickets (ie you know the saying, if you can predict the weather...)
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Re: Snow pack

Post by Pocketlint »

heres a chart of both snow depth and SWE at Many Glacier
Still 47" of actual snow there.
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/reportGene ... NWD::delta

from this site
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/nwcc/site? ... 3&state=mt

You're right though. It aint over till it's over....and all sorts of things can happen over the next 8-10 weeks.
:)

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Re: Snow pack

Post by canadabasin »

Hi all...first post/avid reader!

Anyone been over to the park in the last few weeks to see how the snow melt is progressing...I have been reading this thread with interest but haven't seen any updates lately. I'm hoping the snow is melting up nicely, although it's hard to tell from the webcams. Some friends and I are looking to come over and try for Heaven't Peak in August if the top has melted off enough. Looks as though plowing operations are moving ahead nicely on the GTTSR.

Cheers!
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Re: Snow pack

Post by Pocketlint »

Welcome to the chat!!
Most everything down low is melted out over here on the West side where I live.
I was over on the East side Saturday.
Still a fair amount of snow, but this recent weather will melt it quickly imo.
Here's my trip report. You can get an idea from the videos and pictures.
I'm reasonably certain that by Memorial Day weekend when things open up, most of that snow on the lower elevations will be gone!!
That said, we've been known to have some real dumps in late May and early June.
The higher elevations are a different matter. Too early to say much about them.
:arrow:

http://glacier.nationalparkschat.com/ph ... 743#p76743

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Re: Snow pack

Post by canadabasin »

Thanks for the report! Great pics there! Wish I lived a little closer so I could come to the park more often! Will be monitoring closely for more snow reports on higher elevations. My friends and I are thinking mid-late august to come do Heaven's Peak!
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