ki0eh
03-01-2010, 08:56
I've been seeing a lot more questions like the above this winter for some reason. :D
For a couple of years I've used this site:
http://nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html
One needs to zoom in and usually change "snow water equivalent" on the picklist on the left to "snow depth."
I've found it to be pretty good at estimating snow/no-snow boundaries in central PA and central/western NY but it usually overestimates absolute depth values.
Since I discovered this site (from another forum) a couple of years ago it's added quite a bit to my enjoyment of the winter backcountry.
Where I go there's not usually reliable consistent local reports, and just asking online tends to be catsh-as-catch can and also subject to the eye of the beholder (asking me who grew up near Syracuse, whether there's a "lot of snow" in the Harrisburg area would probably elicit a different reply than from a native local).
For a couple of years I've used this site:
http://nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html
One needs to zoom in and usually change "snow water equivalent" on the picklist on the left to "snow depth."
I've found it to be pretty good at estimating snow/no-snow boundaries in central PA and central/western NY but it usually overestimates absolute depth values.
Since I discovered this site (from another forum) a couple of years ago it's added quite a bit to my enjoyment of the winter backcountry.
Where I go there's not usually reliable consistent local reports, and just asking online tends to be catsh-as-catch can and also subject to the eye of the beholder (asking me who grew up near Syracuse, whether there's a "lot of snow" in the Harrisburg area would probably elicit a different reply than from a native local).