[Rockhounds] Nifty snowpack link...

[Lanny R]

Hi Julie,

Thanks for the Snotel files. I checked where the sites were located by  
going to the Snotel web site and map, for Montana:
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/Montana/montana.html

On the text file you are using, look under "Missouri Headwaters."  
Calvert Creek is listed. From looking at the web site for the Snotel  
individual sites, I see that the measuring site is on the Calvert  
Creek that is about a dozen miles west of Calvert Hill. There also is  
a Calvert Creek on the south side of Calvert Hill; kind of unusual to  
see two creeks of the same name so close together. The listing shows  
111% of average currently, not bad, and 14 inches compared to an  
average of 12.6. The Calvert Creek Snotel site is listed as being at  
6,430 feet elevation, so is probably similar to Calvert Hill.

There's another site at Mule Creek which is on the SE side of the  
Pioneers, 15 miles or so SE of Crystal Park. This one is at 8,300 feet  
elevation; and shows 105% of average still on the ground. For Calvert  
Hill and Crystal Park, it looks like the situation is typical,  
although, spring is staying kind of cool, so snow melt is going to  
continue to lag.

It took me a little while to find appropriate sites. I wouldn't have  
thought to look under Headwaters of the Missouri, after all, that's up  
north. For those geographically lost, the creeks flow into the Big  
Hole River, to the Beaverhead to the Jefferson to the Missouri. Thus,  
for this area that is on the east side of the C ontinental Divide,  
it's all headwaters of the Missouri.

Have a nice trip.

Lanny


On May 9, 2008, at 1:07 PM, Julie Siebel wrote:

> I just found this link that lists snowpack for Montana:
>
> ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/snow/update/mt.txt
>
> I took a guess and figured if you changed "mt.txt" to "id.txt" (for  
> Idaho) or "wy.txt" (for Wyoming) or whatever snowy state you want to  
> go rockhounding in and wonder where the snow is at, it will show the  
> data for that state as well. Neat. Works great for Montana, Idaho,  
> Wyoming and Oregon - didn't test any further.
>
> Now if I can just figure out which of those 60 or so locations is  
> closest to Calvert Hill and Crystal Park...
>
> Julie
>
>
> -- 
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