I've always been fascinated by weather information. Sierra winter precipitation varies greatly:
http://gator1314.hostgator.com/~bestsnow/select; California
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California's most distinguishing feature is the highest variability in snowfall of any region in the West. The late 80's to early 90's drought included two seasons, 1987 and 1991, when there was virtually no natural snow on the ground by New Year's Day."The only long term annual snowfall records are for Central Sierra Snow Lab near Donner Summit:
http://www.thestormking.com/Weather/Sierra_Snowfall/sierra_snowfall.htmlThese Mammoth Mountain stats are the most interesting graphics, especially the colored monthly table:
http://www.skimountaineer.com/CascadeSki/CascadeSnow/MammothMtnSnowfall.gifDuring the
1976/1977 drought I backpacked up Bear Creek between the Diversion Dam and Kip Camp early August and could jump across the creek with pack on at several spots.
The winter of
1989/1990 was the next most dramatic also with no snow in December.
Winters where the light blue is lowest on the chart had the driest starts like this winter and there were several.
Notice the amazing following winter of
1990/1991. As dry as 1976/1977 through February and then continuous storms in "
The Miracle March". That spring that finally brought to the end, the six year drought, also had some of the most fantastic spring wildflowers.
In the Southern Sierra, the two largest storms in my lifetime were in
Feb 1986 and
Feb 1998.
The former in
Feb 1986 lasting 11 days and causing huge floods in north bay areas of SF Bay caused the most high country avalanches that are still visible as old log piles in the High Sierra backcountry. One of those avalanches still visible roadside is between Tenaya Lake and Pywiak Dome. That avalanche actually ran all across the now soggy meadow clearing swaths of lodgepoles and then ran up above the road some height on Poly Dome. Also caused the old avalanche debris still decaying about Tioga Meadow. And to the east an avalanche coming down from the Mount Warren plateau went across US395 onto the shore of Mono Lake. I actually saw remains of the latter debris as we skied Mammoth Mountain the following weekend.
The latter in
Feb 1998 storms caused that amazing flood through Yosemite Valley leaving that incredible high water mark at Valley View. That occurred during the period the Monterey office of the NWS began showing on the early Internet, continuous loop radar graphics of rainfall. I watched that graphic mesmerized as the main front in the Pacific approached Monterey County shores, I have never since seen as yellow and red displays. It washed out many large bridges in Monterey County and San Benito County, flooded the northern San Joaquin Valley areas before crossing the valley into the Yosemite region.
What is considered the snowiest location in California does not have a weather station so no records are available. That is Lassen Peak. Some may expect Shasta to be snowier because it is further north and higher. However Shasta is in a minor rain shadows of the lower Klamath Mountains to its southwest while Lassen just has relatively low coastal mountains to its southwest.
http://www.davidsenesac.comEdited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2011 06:55PM by DavidSenesac.