Maine Cooperative Snow Survey

Let's give round 1 to The Farmers' Almanac... Nice SE to NW gradient in snow depth and water content. Relatively uniform densities. All of the State normal or above normal in water content. What more is there to say...

Additional data and revised maps uploaded 1/24.

We'll give round 2 to The Farmers' Almanac, too, but call it a split decision... We did have the warm-up in January, but there certainly is a lot of snow, with all but a few sites in the top 25-percent of historic measurements. The recent rains have made drawing the snow/no snow line difficult along the coast (even more so than normal), so don't put a lot of faith in that feature.

Additional data and revised maps uploaded 2/21.

Round 3 goes to The Farmers' Almanac. Lots of snow and lots of water. In many cases in western Maine, the measured water content is the highest value measured at that site since 1969, which generated the Mother of all snowpacks. For sites started after 1969, many record measurements. Needless to say, the bulk of the State shows in the highest 25-percent of measured water content. The precipitation on the 5th may have added a bit to the water content.

The storms over the weekend produced mixed results throughout the State. Northern and eastern Maine added a few inches; central, western and southern Maine either lost an inch or so or only saw changes of less than +/- an inch of water. The bulk of the State remains in the highest 25-percent of historic measurements, with many areas in the highest 10-percent (check out the new and improved map of water content in snowpack compared to historical values). And the roads.... don't get me started....

We have created revised maps based on data extrapolated from the major survey of March 2-4. Water content and depth for sites measured in the March 2-4 window were used together with the change in water content and depth for sites measured in both surveys to estimate water content and depth at sites not measured in the March 10-11 survey. This provides more detail in the headwaters of the major rivers. This extrapolation method is useful for the first few surveys after the major survey on-or-about March 1. The data table, however, contains only the actual measurements made in the March 10-11 survey.

No need to extrapolate data from the March 2-4 survey as our 3/19: friends at Brookfield Power and FPL provided us with extra sites this week. The snow is holding it's own and actually picked up water in various parts of the State. We are missing data from extreme southern Maine and eastern Aroostook County for these provisional maps, but I don't expect to see anything different when we make the final maps tomorrow. Much of the State is now in the 90th-percentile of historic measurements for water content - we're making history!

3/19: Revised maps with data from southern and northern Maine. As expected, no change in the overall picture of much higher than normal water contents throughout the northern 2/3 of the State.

3/19: Additional data from northern and eastern Maine.

3/20: Additional data from southern Maine.

First, the maps are again based in part on data from last week's survey (3/18) in order to get some detail in the headwater portions of the Androscoggin, Kennebec, and Penobscot basins. Northern Maine picked up between 0 and 2 inches of water with the events of last week, with the rest of the State either holding it's own or losing a bit near the coast. The maps right along the coast are problematic. And, as expected, more of the State has moved into the 90th percentile of historic water content - we should be losing water content briskly now, not gaining.....

3/26: Additional data and revised maps.

3/27: Additional data and revised maps.

April 1st - no comment.... Picking up a little water up north; losing a little water south of Route 2 except around the Sebago area. Again, everywhere above the 75th percentile with most of the State above the 90th percentile. Just like last week, and the week before, and the week before that....

4/2: Additional data and revised maps.

Finally!!! Some consistent loss of water across the southern third of the State.... And, much of the southern half of the State has dropped below the 90th percentile for water content. With only limited data from the upper Penobscot and St. John basins, the maps may underestimate the area with water content above 12 inches.

4/9: Additional data in Northern Maine and revised maps.

First, time for the unashamedly subjective results of the totally non-scientific and ill-advised competition I proposed at the start of the season: the Almanac clearly called the precipitation correctly, but the Weather Service called the slightly warmer-than-normal temperatures.....

As far as the snowpack is concerned, melting is accelerating in southern and central Maine, and just starting to take effect up north (more so in eastern Arootook County than in the North Woods). Overall, it looks like I'll still be measuring snow in May.....

4/16: Corrected data for Kenduskeag; revised maps.

4/17: Additional data from northern and eastern Maine; revised maps.

Warm temperatures and sun have taken their toll on the snowpack with losses of 5, 6, and up to 7 inches of water in the past week. This has been reflected in the rivers, with flood watches and warnings along the Kennebec and the Mattawamkweag Rivers in Maine and the St. John River in New Brunswick.

Last week it looked like I'd be measuring snow in western Maine into May - now, it looks like next week may be my last survey....

4/23: Additional data from western and eastern Maine revised maps

Certainly the last set of maps for this year. The only significant snow is in the upper Allagash and St. John basins and along the Quebec-Maine border in western Maine (based on remote sensing data from the National Weather Service's National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center). The "no data" area reflects the fact that we have no sites in this part of the world.

4/30: Additional data and revised maps.