Is there snow?

[ki0eh]

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).

[Helios]

Interesting map to use. Thanks for sharing!

[Tipi Walter]

On my last trip I was listening to my radio and the Vice President of Weather came on(??)and he layed out the ratios of snow levels with rain, etc. He said a warmer "wet" snow equals one inch of rain to 9 or 10 inches of snow. Then he said in a very cold, dry area, one inch of rain would equal between 30 to 40 inches of the stuff. Pretty neato. Here in the southeast we most often get the wet lower-level snow, one inch equals 9-10 inch snow, etc. I suppose in a sleet storm one inch of ran would produce about 4 or 5 inches of sleet/snow mix, or less. Who cares? The whole point is to get out in it and camp.