California Gov. Jerry Brown last month repealed a statewide drought declaration made in 2008 by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after state officials reported the water content in the Sierra snowpack at 165 percent of normal for this time of year.
More than 61 feet of snow has fallen in the Sierra high country so far this season, second only to 1950-51, when 65 feet fell, according to records kept by the California Department of Transportation. (One of the lowest levels was in 2007).
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20110411/NEWS/110419991/1001&parentprofile=1056
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Snow training and earthquakes
I ended dropping out of a three-day snow training course at Lake Tahoe over spring break but Mary went. It turned out that the heavy work load I had in the beginning of the semester had tapered off by early March. I could have gone afterall, but the California Sierras got a big four-day storm that would have made my drive back to southern Arizona treacherous with flooding in the PHX area.
Mary loved the training although that last day the group she was with had to hunker in their tents to stay warm; there were white outs and below zero temps.
Another thing I am noticing is the increase in seismic activity in the Hawthorne, NV area. Although most temblors are registering around 3 on the Richter scale, there have been a few 4s and today even a 4.4 temblor. Even the UNR Seismology Laboratory is making note of the quakes; that area started quaking gently in January but now the tension seems to be building up gradually. When I asked on the yahoo! JMT forum if quakes were ever an issue on the JMT (I'm thinking large boulder slides, passes crumbling or avalances) hikers on the forum seemed to just blow me off as an alarmist non Californian and I let the subject drop. Apparently the hikers on that forum prefer to talk about what wheat brand makes the best tortilla...
http://www.seismo.unr.edu/
Mag Date y/m/d Local Time h:m:s Latitude deg Longitude deg Depth km Location
3.1 2011/04/14 05:05:56 38.381N 118.748W 13.5 19 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
3.0 2011/04/14 04:58:08 38.380N 118.746W 13.9 19 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
3.1 2011/04/13 15:59:19 38.382N 118.737W 16.6 19 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
4.2 2011/04/13 15:16:08 38.386N 118.742W 15.4 19 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
3.6 2011/04/13 15:15:20 38.379N 118.752W 12.0 20 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
4.4 2011/04/13 15:10:08 38.371N 118.748W 13.1 20 km (13 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
3.3 2011/04/12 18:57:03 38.294N 116.426W 4.0 13 km ( 8 mi) NNW of Warm Springs, NV
3.3 2011/04/10 18:05:00 38.375N 118.739W 6.0 20 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
3.0 2011/04/10 17:31:09 38.384N 118.745W 12.4 19 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
4.2 2011/04/10 17:22:21 38.379N 118.735W 13.8 19 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
4.0 2011/04/10 17:21:16 38.374N 118.739W 15.3 20 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
3.5 2011/04/10 17:20:17 38.363N 118.741W 9.4 20 km (12 mi) WNW of Qualeys Camp, NV
3.3 2011/04/10 17:13:11 38.337N 118.746W 10.2 19 km (12 mi) W of Qualeys Camp, NV
3.5 2011/04/10 16:06:00 38.374N 118.741W 9.7 20 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
3.0 2011/04/10 16:02:16 38.373N 118.738W 10.1 20 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
Mary loved the training although that last day the group she was with had to hunker in their tents to stay warm; there were white outs and below zero temps.
Another thing I am noticing is the increase in seismic activity in the Hawthorne, NV area. Although most temblors are registering around 3 on the Richter scale, there have been a few 4s and today even a 4.4 temblor. Even the UNR Seismology Laboratory is making note of the quakes; that area started quaking gently in January but now the tension seems to be building up gradually. When I asked on the yahoo! JMT forum if quakes were ever an issue on the JMT (I'm thinking large boulder slides, passes crumbling or avalances) hikers on the forum seemed to just blow me off as an alarmist non Californian and I let the subject drop. Apparently the hikers on that forum prefer to talk about what wheat brand makes the best tortilla...
http://www.seismo.unr.edu/
Mag Date y/m/d Local Time h:m:s Latitude deg Longitude deg Depth km Location
3.1 2011/04/14 05:05:56 38.381N 118.748W 13.5 19 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
3.0 2011/04/14 04:58:08 38.380N 118.746W 13.9 19 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
3.1 2011/04/13 15:59:19 38.382N 118.737W 16.6 19 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
4.2 2011/04/13 15:16:08 38.386N 118.742W 15.4 19 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
3.6 2011/04/13 15:15:20 38.379N 118.752W 12.0 20 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
4.4 2011/04/13 15:10:08 38.371N 118.748W 13.1 20 km (13 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
3.3 2011/04/12 18:57:03 38.294N 116.426W 4.0 13 km ( 8 mi) NNW of Warm Springs, NV
3.3 2011/04/10 18:05:00 38.375N 118.739W 6.0 20 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
3.0 2011/04/10 17:31:09 38.384N 118.745W 12.4 19 km (12 mi) SW of Hawthorne, NV
4.2 2011/04/10 17:22:21 38.379N 118.735W 13.8 19 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
4.0 2011/04/10 17:21:16 38.374N 118.739W 15.3 20 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
3.5 2011/04/10 17:20:17 38.363N 118.741W 9.4 20 km (12 mi) WNW of Qualeys Camp, NV
3.3 2011/04/10 17:13:11 38.337N 118.746W 10.2 19 km (12 mi) W of Qualeys Camp, NV
3.5 2011/04/10 16:06:00 38.374N 118.741W 9.7 20 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
3.0 2011/04/10 16:02:16 38.373N 118.738W 10.1 20 km (12 mi) SSW of Hawthorne, NV
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