I recently was asked if I would write something about the snowfall. I guess they figured I had been here a long time (1974) and brag about being an observer of our environment I would have some enlightening comments.
Weather is tricky business. It is like fishing or anything else. You remember the exceptional events but everything else rapidly fades into the fog. I have seen many major snowfall events here but struggle to remember the specifics. Drifting around in my mind is one snowstorm in years past that dumped about 5 feet. I don’t remember what year or date it occurred, but I do remember many buildings had their roofs collapse. It may have been a result of the snow or a rain afterwards. I do remember specifically a yellow equipment shed, directly south of Brian House’s home flattening, never to be rebuilt. Other snowstorms had significant snow, but the effect was magnified by heavy wind and rain on top of the snow. Those are the ones that close schools.
If you have moved to Bear Lake in the last 10 years you have been snowed in. You soon learn what a Skidster, loader or patrol is since it is the only thing, other than a big blower, that can deal with a heavy amount of snow. So what does the future hold? According to Ashley, my daughter who works for NOAA, is the only thing that is accurate about weather is what happened the day before. I use real data about where we are now compared to past years. The NRCS maintains SNOTEL stations to measure precipitation. One of the longest running stations is Tony Grove Lake, so that is the one I use. You can find all the information on the internet.
You can also keep up on the water totals by subscribing to the Bear Lake Watch newsletter. It has lots of information about the lake. You can sign up at bearlakewatch.org. The website has extensive information about Bear Lake so if it is snowing outside and you have shoveled, bring it up and learn about this unique lake. The site has more information and data about the area than any other location that I am aware of. Just take your time and absorb. However, in my opinion, just don’t get too wrapped up about milfoil or sediments.
