Our Cup Runneth Over

Another day, another storm delivering in spades.  What a season!

The last 24 hours at Alta Collins is summarized below.  From 7 am yesterday to 7 am this morning a total of 22" (there are wipes of the interval board before 1700 and 0500 that reset the snow interval measurement) and 21" since noon yesterday, so we are quickly approaching the upper-end of my forecast range from yesterday (which was 14–22" through 5 PM today).  

Current radar imagery shows the northwesterly flow orographic precipitation machine is operating at full capacity as I write this at about 7:20 AM.  

The 12Z HRRR calls for this to taper off this morning, with little to no precipitation at Alta after 11 AM.

Do you think Mother Nature got that message?  Maybe not this year.  I'll call for another 2-4" this morning just be safe. 

Meanwhile, it's worth a look at just how fat the snowpack is currently across California, Nevada, and Utah.  Below is the current snowpack water equivalent percent of median *water year peak*.  Basically, how does the current snowpack compare to the peak, which typically occurs around April 1.  Most sites near or south of Lake Tahoe are at at least 90% of median peak, with some more than 130%.  Similarly, sites in the Ruby Mountains are at or above 90%.  In Utah, there are some sites now running at 90% or greater.  Some are in the 50-69% color range, but I looked at the raw numbers and most of those are at or above 60%.  

The State of California snowpack obs are late to come in, so there's no data from the south Sierra, but I took a quick look at the numbers yesterday and the snowpack is quite fat as well.  

At SNOTEL sites in the Jordan River basin, which covers the Cottonwoods through City Creek Canyon west of the Wasatch Crest and the eastern Oquirrh Mountains, the average snowpack water equivalent is 19.2".  This is about the equivalent of median snowpack in mid to late March.  

If Little Cottonwood Canyon opens this morning and you are able to ski steep terrain at Alta or Snowbird, you should hug each and every ski patroller, plow driver, UDOT snow safety specialist, and any public safety person that you see.