The snowpack above Snohomish County’s main drinking water reservoir at Spada Lake has smashed a record set more than a decade ago.
At Stickney Ridge, the snow is 16 1/2 feet deep, nearly 3 feet deeper than the record set in 1997.
Most years, the snow is about 8 feet deep.
“These are the deepest readings ever recorded on the first of April since we started measurements in 1986,” said Bruce Meaker, senior manager of regulatory affairs for Snohomish County PUD.
The deep snow ensures there’s enough water for people, fish and power generation at the Jackson Hydroelectric Project, he said.
“A year like this means we’ll be able to generate more electricity in late spring and summer than we would in a drier year,” Meaker said. “We will have a steady source of water running into the reservoir for the next several months.”
That likely means cheaper electricity for the utility.
“As power generation goes up, that’s less power we need to buy from Bonneville (Power Administration), which means not spending money out of our operating budget for power costs,” Meaker said.
All three of the PUD’s test locations south of Spada Lake broke records. There was so much snow it took two helicopter trips to do the measuring work and bigger equipment to drill down far enough.
Crews were able to get some measurements last week. A site called Kromona Mine is usually 52 inches deep this time of year, but now snow is piled 125 inches deep.
Nearby, Olney Pass averages 48 inches of snow, but this year is nearly triple that at 137 inches.
The road that serves as a helicopter landing pad at Stickney Ridge was snowed in last week, with drifts piled at a 45 degree angle, Meaker said. The helicopter had to land elsewhere and experts hiked to the usual snow field.
They discovered that their aluminum tubes and the scale to weigh the water content were too small for the job.
“We didn’t have enough snow tubes to measure it,” Meaker said.
By Tuesday, crews had the needed equipment — more tubes and a bigger scale — to put a new number in the record books.
The news comes as little surprise for a region beset by springtime snow flurries just this week and chilly temperatures.
La Nina ocean conditions pushed cooler temperatures and lots of precipitation into the region, and forecasts for a good snow year, said Garth Ferber, avalanche meteorologist for the U.S. Forest Service said.
This spring, he said he’ll be watching for warm days or rain that might set loose snow onto hikers, backcountry travelers and drivers on the highways.
Snow measured at Stevens Pass is 3 feet deeper than usual — 131 inches — but didn’t break any records, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Forest Service avalanche center. No other areas broke records.
Only the Meadows ski area at Mount Hood came close, tying a record set in 1999.
Stevens Pass is clear for travel, but it had to close several times this winter because of avalanche worries. The state went at least $6.5 million overbudget digging out highways, and costs are still being tallied this week.
It’s odd to have so much snow stick around at lower elevations, said Scott Pattee, water supply specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.
“It usually melts off before now or is considerably reduced,” Pattee said. “Because the month of March was so cool, we retained a lot of that snow, and built on top of it a little bit.”
The wet winter will recharge the soil and mean good sustained stream flows in the spring and summer months. Water in Spada Lake should be able to stretch into the fall.
“It’s going to be a good water supply year for fisheries and recreation, especially if it starts warming up. People will be able to get rafts and fishing boats in the water sooner.”
The weather meant skiing in deep powder at the end of March, Stevens Pass ski area marketing director Chris Rudolph said. They, too, had about 3 feet more snow than usual at the base. A total of 536 inches of snow fell during the ski season there, about 25 percent higher than average, Rudolph said.
Despite all the snow, the ski area still plans to shut down April 13, since that’s about when people shelve their skis and pull out their bikes and golf clubs, he said.
“I’ve worked the passes my entire career, and this winter is the most snow I can ever remember seeing,” State Patrol Sgt. Kirk Rudeen said. “A lot of time, there was snow and ice from Gold Bar all the way to the top of the pass. We had a lot of collisions and it kept our people very busy.”
“I’m hoping it’s on its way out,” he said. “It’s been a long winter.”
Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.
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