White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-03
WATER SCAR|TY
GREATLY FEARED
FIGURES FROM THE WEAIHEk
BUREAU IN RENO SHOW DRlEST
YEAR IN TWENTY-FOUR SEA-
SONS RECORD IN NEVADA.

Section Director Alps, of the elm
biological service of the weather
bureau. has issued a snowfall bulle-
tin covering the river drainage
basins of Nevada and that portion of
California which is included in the
upper basins of the Truckee, Carson
and Walker rivers. A number of
snowfall stations with paid observers
are maintained in the various drain
age areas. and these observers report
to the section directors of Reno. In
the bulletin issued an outline of the
PRECIPITATION during the past five
months is given. Ii is noted that
this season to date is one of the
driest since the records were started
some twenty-four years ago. A copy
of the complete bulletin may be
secured by applying at the Reno
office, weather bureau, l. o. o. a.
building. The following extracts are
taken:
September and October were dry
months. The precipitation in the
Carson and Walker river basins was
practically nothing. In the high ele-
v~ations of the Truckee and Hum
boldt river basins the was
nearly 30 per cent of the normal, but
in the valleys il was only about Is
per cent of the usual amount. De-
tober closed with no SHOWS on the
ground. except at high elevations of
the Sierra Nevada and Ruby noun
tains. where there was an average
depth Of about six inches.
The snowfall was nearly normal in
the high mountains of Elko county
in November. but less than half the
normal in December. During No
vember there was only about 40 per
cent of the usual amount of snowfall
in the upper basin of the west por-
tion, while in December about 60 per
cent of the normal was recorded. At
the close OF December the snow
cover ranged from about % inches
on the east side of Lake Tahoe to
90 inches in the west portion Of that
drainage area. aud averaged b in
ches over the entire basin. The aver
age depth ON the ground in the upper
portions Of the Carson and Walker
river basins was about % inches.
The snowfall in January was less
than has been known for many years.
In the eastern Sierras it was about
one-third OF the normal. This
amount was I'm marked contrast 10
thar OF January. 1911. when the
depths We're greatest since the
heavy snowfall of January. 1890.
Low temperatures prevented melting
until about January 9Th. when a
change 70 a%bnormally warm weathe
occurred. Absence Of high winds
prevented rapid melting and while
the depth on the ground at the end
OF January was less than at the close
o. the proceeding month. there was
no less of water in the high o n
tain districts. as the gradual melting
caused by high DAY temperatures was
not sufficient TO cause runon. Meas.
uremenis OF the depth and water con
tent OF the snow indicate that the
noun on the ground on January /
1912, was about a. per cent Of the
average for that date.
In the past twenty-four years there
have been three other dry SEASONS
The winter Of 1s03-04 was the dries;
10 January 31st. but the heavy preci.
pitation which occurred in February
and March raised the seasonal
amount TO nearly normal. The early
part Of the season of Is04-05 was
another dry one. but February and
April were very vet months. The
winter Of 19o.-0S was one Of the
driest on record, December being the
ONLY month OF normal snowfall.