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We Need A Bigger Snow Blower
It’s been a rough winter in the United States, but it could be worse. Crater Lake National Park, in Oregon is the snowiest place in Oregon. The deepest point in the lake itself is 1,949 feet. The average depth of Crater Lake makes it the deepest lake in the Western Hemisphere, and the third deepest in the world.
The only source of water for Crater Lake is rain, and snowfall.
Wherever you are in the United States, and no matter however much you snow you received this winter it could have been worse.
The record annual snowfall for Crater Lake was an incredible 879 inches — a stunning 73 feet, 3 inches — during the winter of 1932-33, according to National Park Service records. That includes 35 inches falling on Feb. 15, 1933.
Moreover, its average annual snowfall of 540 inches — 45 feet — is the most in Oregon. The measurement is taken at the park headquarters below the rim at 6,475 feet above sea level, where folks do live year round.
In comparison, Mount Hood at Timberline Lodge at roughly 6,000 feet elevation averages only 465 inches — 39 feet.
Published in Environment
For what it’s worth, Crater Lake is the deepest lake that is entirely above sea level. And it’s young, less than ten thousand years old: it’s entirely possible that humans observed its formation.
Please don’t ruin my dreams.
We wouldn’t want Timberline Lodge to feel unloved.
Are you kidding? That’s the only reason I’m here, Hank.
Just more proof of Global Warming of course.
And for contrast…
Portland to Mt Hood is 53 air miles. The aforementioned Timberline Lodge averages 465 in annual snowfall. Portland completely looses its fecal matter when it snows more than an inch.
Not long after the big 1988/89 drought in the southwestern US, I remember watching a show on PBS where they pointed out that even if you get lots of snowfall in the mountains (as measured in inches of precipitation), that doesn’t necessarily mean that the water content of the winter snowpack will be enough to replenish the water supply once springtime comes. It all depends on the water-to-air ratio of the snow crystals.
Does anybody know where one might find statistics about snowfall water content over the past 30 years or so, to see how this year’s snowpack compares to previous years, and what the longterm trend has been?
Or cooling, or change…whatever.
I don’t have those statistics, but my suspicion is that it has a lot more to do with taxes and fees than it actually does with water-to-air ratios.
In roughly the same time frame you mention, there was a “drought” in the Portland area. I’ve always maintained that the day I no longer had to worry about killing the moss in my lawn was the day they could use the word drought legitimately, but the Portland Water Bureau (which is a whole nuther story) declared that everyone had to go on water rationing. You know, even numbered houses could water lawns on even number days, etc.
This went on for about a month until the PWB declared that due to the decreased water consumption they were going to have to raise the rates to increase their revenue in order to cover operating expenses.
A week later Portland had a major rainfall – less than 0.1 inches. Miraculously, the drought was declared over! Water rationing was a thing of the past! Hooray!!!
And of course the PWB lowered the rates back down to where they were before, right? If you believe that you’re more gullible than an AOC fan.
You might be able to find what you’re looking for at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) website. This one’s for Oregon. Similar information should also be available at the NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) website.
Great photo, Doug.
I think that this is true of pretty much all lakes. At least I can’t think of a situation in which the ocean flows into a lake. :)
I do know what you meant.