While the east coast has been contending with heavy snow this winter, the Pacific Northwest mountains are seriously in need of snow. I was curious if this winter has been unique in its lack of snowpack, so I went looking for the history. I chose to look at data from Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park. It looks like 2005 and 1981 had similar snowpack measurements on Feb. 1 of those years as we do now. Even if it's not unprecedented, the lack of snow is worrying.
Historical Snow Depths on Feb. 1 at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic Nat'l Park The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Snails, fish, insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located.↧