In Moraine Park the aspens just opened up in the last day or so, the grass is green, and the river is really flowing.
There are a few apsens along Bear Lake road and Bierstadt Moraine with leaves already.
The trail to Dream Lake still has quite a bit snow on it in parts, especially between Bear & Nymph Lakes. Yaktrax help a bit. Bear, Nymph & Dream are each about 5-10% thawed, but look ready to go soon if the warm weather continues.
As of right now, the Bear Lake snow station through NOHRSC lists a snowpack of 39 inches for that station at 9501 feet.
I've been keeping an eye on various gauges around the 10000-11000 foot mark the past few days, as that seems to be the main transition area right now in the Colorado high country.
Snowpacks around the state have been melting at an average of around 3-4 inches per day in that elevation zone.
If anyone wants to see other station amounts, go to
and scroll down to where you see the link to "Station Snowdepth Reports". It will bring up a list of locations and data.
Other notables:
55 inches at South Colony (10800 ft)
45 inches at Echo lake (10600)
27 inches at Rabbit Ears (9399)
21 inches at Molas Lake (10498)
20 inches at Porphyry Creek (10761)
10 inches at Trappers Lake (9701)
1 inch at Lizard Head Pass (10200)
0 at Medano Pass (9619)
I was planning on heading up there within the next few days. This helps to know how much snow and melt off to expect.
It is amazing how long Bear and Dream Lakes have been holding on to their ice layer when Sprague has been completely melted for weeks.
Josh, when I call the RMNP info number, the folks there know almost nothing about current conditions, even though there are rangers/workers up there every day. Up until now I was always relying on 'very' outdated reports. That resource you provided is great!
Just make sure to select "Snow Depth" over in the "Select Physical Element" menu. I check the rivers/streams/lakes boxes to add those in for assistance in telling where valleys and ridges are. Then click redraw map and zoom in to wherever you're interested in.
Certain snow stations have great information pages like this associated with them as well:
http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/data/cdf/station/html/L/LIZC2
That is for Lizard Head Pass. It gives you an idea as to whether or not the snow station is in open sunlight, covered in tree canopy, on a northfacing ridge, etc.
This is a map of all of the snow stations that NOHRSC has:
http://www.met.utah.edu/droman/states/CO_state_frame.html
I found it useful to find the station on the map, then look to the initial list that I provided for information on it.
Snowpack has been melting fast over the past couple of days here at the snowpack leftover zone at the top of Golden Gate Canyon. I had over three feet by my garage when I left on Thursday, and am down below two feet now!
(Of course, as we speak it is again snowing at elevation...)
Discussion
4 repliesThere are a few apsens along Bear Lake road and Bierstadt Moraine with leaves already.
The trail to Dream Lake still has quite a bit snow on it in parts, especially between Bear & Nymph Lakes. Yaktrax help a bit. Bear, Nymph & Dream are each about 5-10% thawed, but look ready to go soon if the warm weather continues.
Sorry no pics yet; I only have the analog Ebony
As of right now, the Bear Lake snow station through NOHRSC lists a snowpack of 39 inches for that station at 9501 feet.
I've been keeping an eye on various gauges around the 10000-11000 foot mark the past few days, as that seems to be the main transition area right now in the Colorado high country.
Snowpacks around the state have been melting at an average of around 3-4 inches per day in that elevation zone.
If anyone wants to see other station amounts, go to
http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/index.html?region=Central_Rockies&year=2007&month=5&day=11&units=e
and scroll down to where you see the link to "Station Snowdepth Reports". It will bring up a list of locations and data.
Other notables:
55 inches at South Colony (10800 ft)
45 inches at Echo lake (10600)
27 inches at Rabbit Ears (9399)
21 inches at Molas Lake (10498)
20 inches at Porphyry Creek (10761)
10 inches at Trappers Lake (9701)
1 inch at Lizard Head Pass (10200)
0 at Medano Pass (9619)
I was planning on heading up there within the next few days. This helps to know how much snow and melt off to expect.
It is amazing how long Bear and Dream Lakes have been holding on to their ice layer when Sprague has been completely melted for weeks.
Josh, when I call the RMNP info number, the folks there know almost nothing about current conditions, even though there are rangers/workers up there every day. Up until now I was always relying on 'very' outdated reports. That resource you provided is great!
- Derek
http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html
Just make sure to select "Snow Depth" over in the "Select Physical Element" menu. I check the rivers/streams/lakes boxes to add those in for assistance in telling where valleys and ridges are. Then click redraw map and zoom in to wherever you're interested in.
Certain snow stations have great information pages like this associated with them as well:
http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/data/cdf/station/html/L/LIZC2
That is for Lizard Head Pass. It gives you an idea as to whether or not the snow station is in open sunlight, covered in tree canopy, on a northfacing ridge, etc.
This is a map of all of the snow stations that NOHRSC has:
http://www.met.utah.edu/droman/states/CO_state_frame.html
I found it useful to find the station on the map, then look to the initial list that I provided for information on it.
(Of course, as we speak it is again snowing at elevation...)