White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-05-13
WEATHER BUREAU DATA
INDICATES HIGH water

What may be expected in the way
of high water in Columbia river this
season can be gathered from the fol-
lowing extracts taken from the cli-
matological record of the Weather
Bureau at Portland:
Reports from all parts of the
Columbia drainage basin indicate that
the snow supply in the high noun
talns is considerably above normal.
While most OF this snow lies in un-
populated regions, and exact measure
ments and comparisons are therefore
not possible, 1t IS believed that the
supply over the basin as a whole is
the greatest tor several years,-prob-
ably greater than that OF 1921. The
snow is compact. and possesses an
unusually high water content. At this
date little runoff has occurred.
The average summer crest at Port
land is 20.1 feet and the average date
is June 10th. 1t is expected that the
this year will be considerably above
the average, and that the crest will
be reached later than usual.
Should cool weather continue till
well into May, followed by extreme
heat late in May and in June, stage
of rs feet at Portland is possible, but
with normal temperature prevailing
the crest will be correspondingly
lower.
Washington. The depth of snow
on the ground in the Columbia Basin
of Washington at the end of March
was less tnan normal in the lower
levels of the Blue Mountains, the
Okanogan Highlands and the Methow
Valley, but considerably above normal
in the higher elevations of these
regions and the eastern slope of the
Cascades. In other worcS, much Of
the precipitation at medium and lower
levels during the winter was in the
form of rain, while at the higher
levels it was nearly all in the torn
of snow.
On the whole, the density of the
snow seems to be slightly above the
average. There has been but little
drifting, and on most of the slopes
the soil beneath the snow is moist and
unfrozen. Observers report that this
unfrozen ground is so well saturated
that it can absorb but little of the
snow that will melt during April and
May, and for that reason moder-
ateiy rapid runoff is looked for during
those months, despite the slightly
greater than normal density of the
snow cover. Weather conditions in
March were such that there was but
little melting and runoff, and the
Slightly subnormal temperatures of
the fore part Of April have prevented
melting during that period. Practical
ly all the moisture on the slopes re-
mains to be discharged, which would
seem to contribute to a greater than
normal rise in the Columbia under
average weather conditions.
~ M. B. SUMMERS, &;
Meteorologist.
Jdaho: Practically all high noun
tain sections report the snow cover
mere extensive and deeper than nor
NAL at the end of March. The ac-
cumulated precipitation for the season,
October / to March 81, is well above
normal for the State. Much rain has
fallen in the snow, even at high ele-
vations, giving the snow cover high
water content, Only few sections
report much drifting, the snow being
generally too wet and solid to move
readily. The soil under the snow is
generally open and we'll saturated. 1t
was pretty well soaked by. the Nov
ember rains and has been kept soaked
since by melting snow.
The extent and condition of the
snow cover seems to indicate maxi
mum flow considerably greater than
the average.
CLINTON E. NoRQUEST,
Meteorologist.
Montana: The depth and condition
of the snow in the mountains and
timber in Montana draining into the
Columbia system indicate heavy con-
tributions to the spring rise of the
Columbia River. The accumulations
in the northern part of the Main
Range country are thick and well
packed; those in the middle sections
Of the Main Range moderate to
heavy but we'll packed. Depths OF
snow in the highlands overlooking
the Clark Fork range upwards to IN
feet in the Cabinets near the Idaho
line. While it is generally SO well
condensed as to promise sustained
flow, much will run out rapidly with
the annual rise of temperature. In
the high levels of the Bittcrroots, on
the Montana side, there is from 4 to
10 feet of snow, we'll packed down
The earliest snow fell on open or un-
frozen ground and much will no
doubt be absorbed and retard the
run-off, but high water is expected in
the streams fed from these mountains.
The snow beds are compressed and
thick in the ranges running into the
Kootenai; the snow at high attitudes
measures upwards to about 8 feet,
being more than normal. One Forest
Ranger advises that reports from
Canada at the head of the Kootenai
say that exceptionally heavy snow lies
there. Nothing specific regarding
drifting is available, but there is sub
stantial agreement as to the western
Montana SHOWS being dense. The
opinion drawn from the data at hand
is that the maximum flow towards
the Columbia will be decidedly more
than average.
w. T. LATHROP.
Meteorologist.
British Columbia: The general
opinion is that the snowfall at the