[cdt-l] wondering when everyone is starting

[Jeff Braun]

For the latest snowpack I use the snotel sites that can be reached 
for all states from:

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/

or the monthly Montana snow surveys at:

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/cgibin/snow_rpt.pl?state=montana

The Postholer percentages are relative to April 1st. I think the Many 
Glacier site is a poor Snotel site for monitoring the current snow 
pack in late April or May because of its low elevation (4900'), low 
precipitation, and rapid melt off in April. The Many Glacier snowpack 
usually peaks sometime in the second half of March. It currently 
shows 18% of the April 1st average.

A much better snotel site to use is Flattop Mtn (6300'), about 4 
miles west of the Ahern Drift and at a slightly lower elevation. Its 
snowpack peaks around May 1st. Its peak SWE is also 3 times larger 
than Many Glacier (47" vs. 16"). It currently shows about 100% of the 
April 1st average and about 90% of the average for April 17th. 
Currently over 100" at Flattop. It gives a much different picture of 
the snowpack at higher elevations in Glacier.

Jeff

At 02:58 PM 4/17/2007, you wrote:
> >Michael wrote:
> >   I was just wondering when this years
> >southbounders are planning on starting their hikes.
>
>I'm still planning to start around June 18.  But maybe
>the 15th, if money/work allows.
>
>It appears that snow levels are quite low just near
>the Canadian border, but I can't see any data saying
>that they are abnormally low throughout Montana.  I've
>heard that the Postholer site is not
>trustworthy....but just a rumor.
>
>Anyone have any further info or Web sites to
>recommend?  I've been using NOAA.gov and postholer.
>
>Nocona
>
>
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