Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1915-02-14
Last Ten Days of Last
Month Witnessed Biggest
Snowfall in Years--Sec-
ton Director Briggs De-
scription
BY ROBERT r. BRIGGS.

Throughout January there was but
little addition to the snow In the
mountain districts until the last ten
days of the month. The excessive
precipitation of the 18th and 10Th
occurred mostly in the form of snow
ges, at the higher levels of the CEN
trail mountain districts, and over the
east central ranges as far south as
the Blue mountains. In the more
southerly ranges of the southeast,
even at extreme elevations in some
sections, the storm set in with rain,
melting all or a considerable part of
The snow then remaining. and ended
with snowfall insufficient in depth in
most localities to reach the average
for the season in past years.
The latter condition is indicated as
general by reports from the Huac-
huca, Chiricachua and Pinal ranges,
and the higher peaks surrounding
the Verde valley, while over the
greater extent represented by the
Blue, White and Mogollon ranges, the
higher levels of Yavapai county,
Bill Williams mountains, the San
Francico peaks and the high plateaus
and ranges farther north, reports in
dictate that at the end of the month
there was much more than the usual
amount of snow.
Observers in nearly all sections,
particularly mention, in connection
with their reports upon snow condi-
tons, the prospect for an abundant
water supply for agricultural and
grazing purposes during the spring
and early summer
Over the watershed tributary to
the Roosevelt reservoir better fac
ilities than heretofore were available
this season for ascertaining the
snow conditions at the higher levels.
In the Sierra Ancha mountains, over
a selected representative field where
snow stakes have been installed, it
was found from readings made on
January IS, that the snow depths at
elevations from $500 to 5000 feer
ranged from | to 5 inches and IA
| inches at $500 feet to 90 inches at
readings in the Paradise creek sec
| ton of the White mountains, on the
slopes of Mt Ord and McKays peak
made January "a to %, inclusive
! showed depths ranging from % to
| sc inches between the 5000 and $500
| foot levels, an average of 80 inches
| for 90 localities well distributed in
4 rlninf of oloyof inn and hiraatinr "a
| slope, the snow being mostly well
| packed and of high water content
| In both ranges these observations
were made prior to the storm of
| the last of the month. representing
! for the most part the snow re-
naming from the storms Of Decem
Der Reliable reports from the same
| fields state that the amount of adj
ditional snowfall from the 10Th To
the 3lst averaged approximately 80
| inches in the Paradise creek section
and in the Sierra Ancha mountains
| from I inches at $500 feet, where the
precipitation was mostly rain. to "a
inches at 1000 feet, where the fall
was mostly snow. While satisfact-
orily comparable data for other years
are not available reports of from
8 to 40 inches of snow at the close
of the month in other sections of the
watershed, including localities where
snow usually lies unmelted but 2
short time after each storm. in con-
nection with the ascertained depths
at the higher elevations. indicate that
there was much more snow over the
| watershed at the end of January
than at any time for at least some
years past. Although the area is
| primarily a rain shed, the principa
part of the run-off flowing to the
reservoir within few days after
each storm. it may be safely predict
ed that with normal weather con-
ditions during the next ten weeks
the snow fields will play such ar
| important part in the coming spring
run-of that considerable more thar
the average accumulation of storage
water during that period will re-
suit. 1t may therefore be con5erva
lively estimated that the tota
! amount in storage will reach at leas
100000 acre-feet this spring. while
! the recurrence during February ant
March of storms comparable witt
those Of the preceding two month!
would together with the run-off from
accumulated snow. undoubtedly as
sure capacity storage by the end o
the melting season.