AspenAdventures
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Talk last April was that it couldn't happen two years in a row. That is, receive enough snow over the course of the ski season to bury a six-story building.
Well, it happened again.
Last year, Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah, climbed to a fifth-floor balcony at the Sheraton Hotel and dropped a tape in an attempt to create a visual picture of just how much 600 inches of snow was.
The tape was long enough, but the balcony wasn't high enough. He had to climb the stairs to the sixth floor and then drop the tape.
Before the snow stopped falling last year, the winter total at Alta was 697 inches.
Now, here it is April 20, and Alta is reporting a total of 638 inches, which would bury the sixth-floor balcony railing and continue on up to the top of the sliding-glass door.
That, now, is a lot of snow.
Remember, the seasonal average of Utah's high-four ? Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude ? is 500 inches. Hitting it hasn't always been easy.
Brighton reported a total snowfall of 497 inches, and Alta and Snowbird barely went over the 500 mark by this time in 2004. In 2001, Snowbird didn't hit its season average until April 7 and didn't go much higher after that.
Most ski areas in the country would be happy to get half as much snow as Utah.
The seasonal average of Stowe in Vermont is 333 inches. This year, it hasn't quite hit that mark. Its season total is 305 inches.
Even resorts in Colorado can't come close to Utah. Vail's seasonal average is 346, Steamboat's is 330, Aspen's is 300 and Snowmass reports its seasonal average is 300.
Even moving more to the north, resorts get fewer inches. Teton Village, home of Jackson Hole, reports a seasonal average of 450, and Big Sky in Montana lists its average as 400 inches.
This winter was, however, much different from last winter. Storms came less frequently last year but dropped heavy amounts of snow when they did pass.
This year the storms were more frequent and brought less snow.
Seasonal accounting by Alta showed new-snow totals were recorded on 102 days in the 2005-06 season.
Depths ranged anywhere from 1 inch to the 18 inches recorded on Monday.
The first reported snow was 5 inches on Oct. 27, then 2 1/2 on Oct. 28, 2 on Oct. 29 and 1 on Oct. 30. It didn't snow again for five days.
The last recording was on Monday. The next snowiest day was Dec. 3 ? 17 1/2 inches. Most days the total was in the single digits.
Looking at the month-to-month chart, March was the heaviest snow month. The monthly total was 94 inches. Second was January with 92.96 inches, followed by December with 87.23 inches. With 10 days to go, April is listed at 72.25 inches.
High and low temperatures were actually pretty consistent. Average highs for November were 29 degrees, December 26 degrees, January 25, February 27 and March 32. Average lows were 17 degrees in November, 13 in December, 13 in January, 14 in February and 17 in March.
All in all, Utah held up its end for having some of the most and best snow in the country. Now comes the question: Can Utah hit the 600-mark for a third consecutive time?
"One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Well, it happened again.
Last year, Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah, climbed to a fifth-floor balcony at the Sheraton Hotel and dropped a tape in an attempt to create a visual picture of just how much 600 inches of snow was.
The tape was long enough, but the balcony wasn't high enough. He had to climb the stairs to the sixth floor and then drop the tape.
Before the snow stopped falling last year, the winter total at Alta was 697 inches.
Now, here it is April 20, and Alta is reporting a total of 638 inches, which would bury the sixth-floor balcony railing and continue on up to the top of the sliding-glass door.
That, now, is a lot of snow.
Remember, the seasonal average of Utah's high-four ? Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude ? is 500 inches. Hitting it hasn't always been easy.
Brighton reported a total snowfall of 497 inches, and Alta and Snowbird barely went over the 500 mark by this time in 2004. In 2001, Snowbird didn't hit its season average until April 7 and didn't go much higher after that.
Most ski areas in the country would be happy to get half as much snow as Utah.
The seasonal average of Stowe in Vermont is 333 inches. This year, it hasn't quite hit that mark. Its season total is 305 inches.
Even resorts in Colorado can't come close to Utah. Vail's seasonal average is 346, Steamboat's is 330, Aspen's is 300 and Snowmass reports its seasonal average is 300.
Even moving more to the north, resorts get fewer inches. Teton Village, home of Jackson Hole, reports a seasonal average of 450, and Big Sky in Montana lists its average as 400 inches.
This winter was, however, much different from last winter. Storms came less frequently last year but dropped heavy amounts of snow when they did pass.
This year the storms were more frequent and brought less snow.
Seasonal accounting by Alta showed new-snow totals were recorded on 102 days in the 2005-06 season.
Depths ranged anywhere from 1 inch to the 18 inches recorded on Monday.
The first reported snow was 5 inches on Oct. 27, then 2 1/2 on Oct. 28, 2 on Oct. 29 and 1 on Oct. 30. It didn't snow again for five days.
The last recording was on Monday. The next snowiest day was Dec. 3 ? 17 1/2 inches. Most days the total was in the single digits.
Looking at the month-to-month chart, March was the heaviest snow month. The monthly total was 94 inches. Second was January with 92.96 inches, followed by December with 87.23 inches. With 10 days to go, April is listed at 72.25 inches.
High and low temperatures were actually pretty consistent. Average highs for November were 29 degrees, December 26 degrees, January 25, February 27 and March 32. Average lows were 17 degrees in November, 13 in December, 13 in January, 14 in February and 17 in March.
All in all, Utah held up its end for having some of the most and best snow in the country. Now comes the question: Can Utah hit the 600-mark for a third consecutive time?
"One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Somebody didn't like bouncing betty 
