Mount Rainier's Snowpack Is Still Growing

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

MOUNT RAINIER, WA — While it might not feel like it, Washington is well into spring, but it still looks a lot like winter all around Mount Rainier. According to the National Park Service, Paradise added another 15.6 inches to its snowpack since last Friday, and the current snow depth of 176.4 inches is more than 30 inches north of average in the middle of May. Park officials advised visitors to prepare for snow-covered trails, even at low elevations.

State transportation crews, meanwhile, face an uphill battle in clearing Chinook and Cayuse passes in time for the Memorial Day target. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the passes have added 150 inches of new snow since April 1.

The opening dates for both passes fluctuate each year, and in 2021 both opened with a few days to spare. The latest opening in recent years arrived on June 9, 2017. WSDOT recently shared dozens of new photos of the snow removal work and said they are still hoping to open both roadways by May 30.

Up north, WSDOT successfully reopened the North Cascades Highway on Tuesday, despite fresh weekend snow and added challenges amid a particularly cool spring.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/mount-rainier-s-snowpack-is-still-growing/ar-AAXfpj3

[LuvLoogie]

1. any ramifiations for western drought relief?

[Pobeka]

2. Rainier is too far north to make a difference. Most of it drains to Puget Sound.

... some of it drains to the Columbia river.

The snowpack is actually not as much as we had 30 years ago, because "average" is recalculated as the past 10 or 20 years (I don't remember the actual number of past years used but I don't think it's more than 20).

[callous taoboy]

3. Meanwhile, CO's is almost gone-

Colorado should still have around 8 inches of base at this time of year.