Some Oddities of the Utah/Wyoming Snowpack Numbers

It has not been a great snow season across Utah and southern Wyoming.  The vast majority of SNOTEL stations sit below median snowpack snow water equivalent. 

Source: NRCS

However, if you look carefully, there are some sites that are above average and in a few cases well above average.  In particular, check out sites along the north slope of the Uintas, over the Tavaputs Plateau in eastern Utah, and along the Laramie Mountains of eastern Wyoming.  

These are sites that are relatively dry, with low median peak snow water equivalents of 15 inches or less, but got creamed during the period of the Front Range Blizzard in mid March.  One outlier event has made their whole season.  

For example, Hickerson Park on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains has a low median peak snow water equivalent (< 10 inches), picked up over 4 inches of water equivalent during the Front Range Blizzard period, lifting them to median peak SWE (note that the green box is the median peak SWE, whereas the green line is the median SWE on each day and differ since peak SWE doesn't always occur on the same day each season).  

Source: NRCS

The East Willow Creek site on the Tavaputs Plateau of eastern Utah also did well during that period, despite being on a differing aspect.  However, the accumulation period at this site is more drawn out and I suspect it simply did well when the trough that spawned the Front Range Blizzard was sliding across Utah.  Others can perhaps comment with a better analysis.

Source: NRCS

Meanwhile, while I call it the "Front Range Blizzard" the reality is that the biggest accumulations in that storm were in the Laramie Mountains of Wyoming.  Check out the Windy Peak SNOTEL which picked up more than 5 inches of water equivalent.  

Source: NRCS

At dry locations like these, one huge event can make or break the season.  The Front Range Blizzard made the season at these sites, which would otherwise have limped into the end of March with below median snowpack.