The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-05-03
NOT ENOUGH SNOW STORAGE
In the Mountain Feeders of CIark's
Fork of the Columbia.

In the Mountain Feeders of Clark's |
Fork of the Columbia.
In his report of the snowfall in the
mountain ranges of Montana during
March, Section Director Glass notes
that the western slope of the Rocky
mountains, commencing at Essex, |
contains about hall as much snow
as last year at timber line, and is es-
timated at three feet and four feet
above timber line. There was only
one stormy day during March, and
that was the 25th, when IL inches of
snow fell, but the warm weather
melted nearly all of it before the end
of the month At Kalispell, the cor
respondent says: Parties returning
from the timber line report about 2
feet of snow in the mountains, which
is very soft"
In Powell county, in the vicinity of
Ovando, the depth is about 10 feet in
the mountains, with drifts from IL
to 20 feet, and very solid. This COM
pares very favorably with an average
year, and is about three times as
much as last year. The voluntary OBJ
server at Ovando writes: Il have
made personal measurement of the
snow in the mountains and found the
depth about 10 feet, with drifts from
IL to 20. feet in depth, which is about
three times as large as last year.
Parties crossing the mountains from
the south fork of the Flathead river
substantiate my measurements" At
Elliston, and also in the vicinity of
the Ontario mine, the snowfall has
been excessive, and there is now on
the ground from to feet of snow
that is very solid and the drifts
measure from 5 to 20 feet in depth.
The snowfall is about double that of
last year and is in much better con-
dition. The correspondent at Elliston
writes: ''The snow did not drift much
this winter, but nes more on the level
all over the mountains than it has
for years, and is very compact, with
a very thick crust over it, which pre-
vents the high winds from drifting
it." At Avon the depth of snow in
| =
feet. Snow fell on 10 days during
March, but most of it melted soon
after falling.
The correspondent at Anaconda
writes: There is about feet of
snow at Storm Lake at an altitude
of 5000 feet. At the head of Warm
Springs creek there is about 4 feet
on the level, but on an average year
it ranges from II to Is feet
The Kootenai mountains have less
snow than last year, and the Cabinet
mountains have an average fall for
March, but the accumulated snow is
much less than an average. At Phil
are that the flow of water is some
what greater than last year, but still
less than an average year"
The Bitter Root mountains have
from 3 to feet of snow on the level,
with drifts from Is to 20 feet in
depth. This is about an average snow
fall for these mountains, and the wa
ter supply during the coming sum-
mer is expected to be about normal
In the extreme north portion of
Missoula county the snow is much
less than usual. This is especially
noted on the southern slope of the
Cabinet mountains. At Nixon, on Ten
Mile creek, the snow is in excess; it
being greater in depth and more
solid than it has been for the past 4
years. The correspondent writes: Il
am expecting greater flow of water
this year in this vicinity than for
any spring during the last six years. 3"
Summary-The snowfall conditions
are generally more favorable than at
any time during the winter except in
the mountains in the northwest por-
ton of the state; also the Rocky
mountains between Flathead and Te-
ton counties, and in the extreme
south portion of the state in Madison
county. The snow, with few excep-
lions, is very solid and will not melt
with sufficient rapidity to cause
floods of any magnitude in any of the
streams of the state.
At present, there is no snow in
any of the valleys Throughout the
state and very little snow in the foot
hills. When these two conditions are
as at present there is but little
chance for dangerous floods.
Wall paper was first made in Ger