The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-02-10
HEAVY SHOWS
During JANUARY

January was an unusually cold, wet,
and stormy month in all the water
sheds covered by this report. The snow
fall was phenomenally heavy, and in
some localities unprecedented. Mr.. A..
f.. Scott, snowfall observer at Bridge.
port, Cal, has stated that the snow
storms of January were the severest
experienced in that section in 20 years.
Snow blockades in the Sierras west of
Truckee caused long and frequent de-
lays in traffic on the transcontinental
lines. On some of the railroads run
ming north and south of Reno both pas
senger and freight traffic was suspend
ed for several days, dhe to the drift
ing of snow over the tracks. At Reno,
record breaking snowstorm that
yielded 22.5 inches of snow in "a hours
occurred on the 18th and put the street
cars out of business for several days.
A train on the N. G. o. R. R. that had
left Reno for the north just before this
storm was still snowbound at the close
of the month.
In the Truckee watershed the month
ly fall, ON the western slope of Lake
Tahoe, ranged from 155 inches at
Tallac to 23s inches at Tahoe; the av-
erage for six stations was 1913 inches,
which is about 1877 per cent of the nor
NAL. On the eastern slope, the fall
was from 1915 inches at Biiou to 1879. s
inches at Marlette Lake, and the av-
erage for three stations, 172 inches,
was 243 per cent of the normal For
the whole watershed, the snowfall av-
eraged 182 inches, or 220 per cent of
the normal. At all stations except
Tallac and Truckee, this was the heav-
lest snowfall on record. The seasonal
snowfall for the period from Septem-
Der l to January 81 for this watershed
averages 1898 inches, which is $50 per
cent of the normal At the close of the
month, the snow cover ranged from rs
inches in depth at Bijou to 172 inches
at Fallen Leaf; as compared with the
normal the depth was from IL to 80
| per cent greater.
In the Carson watershed, two sta
tions reporting, the monthly fall rang
ed from 90 to 149 inches, the amount
recorded at Markleeville being 2O2 per
cent and that at Woodfords 372 per
cent of the normal. The depth of snow
on the ground on the 31st was 81
inches at Markleeville and Al inches
at Woodfords; this is 81 and 3s inches
respectively above the normal.
| In the Walker watershed, three sta
tions reporting, the fall was from 39
inches at Smith to 120 inches at
Bridgeport, and averaged ii inches for
the three stations, WHICH is 536 per
cent of the normal 1t was in this wa
tershed that the most marked depart
ures from normal conditions occurred.
The snow on the ground at the close
of the month ranged from 16 inches in
depth at Smith to 39 inches at Bridge
port; the excess, as compared with nor
NAL, ranging from Is to 32 inches.
In the Humboldt watershed, the av-
erage snowfall based on seven reports
was 37.7 inches; this is 419 per cent
of the normal, the monthly amounts
recorded having ranged from 20.S
inches at Winnemucca to 66.5 inches
at Jack Creek, near Tuscarora. At the
close of the month the snow was 6
inches deep at Winnemucca and 80
inches at North Fork, which is consid-
erably above the normal.
On the last day of the month Lake
Tahoe was at a stage of 6228.05 feet,
having risen 1.04 feet during January,
which is nearly one-half foot more than
the normal rise. For the same date
last year the stage was 6227.02 feet.
From the foregoing it is evident that
the prospects for an ample supply of
water for irrigation are excellent.