SNOWMASS (CO) EXCEEDS 400 INCHES OF SEASONAL SNOW FOR ONLY THIRD TIME

SUMMIT DAILY NEWS:

So with the official book closed on March, here’s how the season at Snowmass shapes up:

• 118 inches fell in December, setting a record for the month.

• 95 inches fell in January, also setting a record for the month.

• 87 inches fell in February.

• 88 inches fell in March. (That fell significantly below the record of 101 inches that fell in 1984.) Snowmass collected more snow than Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands or Buttermilk this season, Hanle said.
What makes this season particularly impressive is the consistency. “I can’t find another December, January, February and March that matches this one,” Hanle said.

... Prior winters — even the legendary season of 1983-84 — had at least one dud month, the records indicate. November was the only dud this winter at Aspen and Snowmass.

Depending on what fell Monday night, more than 34 feet of snow likely has fallen at Snowmass this season since Nov. 1. But March also produced what passes this season as a drought. No snow fell from March 22 to March 29, marking the longest period of the season without the white stuff, Hanle said.

... Hanle is reluctant to call this season a record-breaker. Part of the problem is questions about snow recording in the past and the possibility of inconsistencies. For example, he doesn’t know if 1983-84 data was collected as of Nov. 1 or beginning with Thanksgiving.

He did feel safe saying that the 400-inch mark for the season has only been broken twice before. The season average is about 300 inches.

• THERE IS NO AGW.
• AGW = BS.