Has the City of Nelson taken to imploring the Great Goddess of Weather to send no further snow for this winter? It might seem so: Arlene Anderson spotted this sign lying in the snow of Lakeside Park. Its message, to stay off the grass, is directed skyward.
Will Nelson’s supplication meet with success? It is the end of January; how much more snow might we normally expect to fall in the valleys?
| Month | Snowfall (cm) | % for winter |
| October | 1.6 | 0.7 |
| November | 31.8 | 14.9 |
| December | 67.4 | 44.9 |
| January | 67.9 | 75.1 |
| February | 37.1 | 91.6 |
| March | 16.2 | 98.8 |
| April | 2.5 | 99.9 |
| May | 0.2 | 100 |
The answer is offered by Discover Nelson which provides the annual snowfall data in this table. I added the column on the right: percent for the winter. It says that at the end of January, we have had about ¾ of the normal winter snowfall.
So, with only about ¼ of the winter’s snow left to fall, and that which is on the ground vanishing as the temperature rises, Parks may well come to believe that their entreaties were successful.
Of course, snowfall in the valleys is not the same as snowfall in the mountains. For for the latter, BC’s Ministry of the Environment offers insight. It posts regular updates to the snow pillow located high on Redfish Creek (altitude: 2086m). This large bladder contains pressure sensors to determine the weight of overlying snow. The results are then radioed to the Ministry and used to update the website.
The line for the multi–year average is purple. It peeks in early May at about 1400 mm of snow (water equivalent). At the end of January, the depth is about 800 mm, so nearly ½ the snow has yet to fall. This year’s plot is in dark blue and reveals this to be an average year.
While the Nelson data presents snowfall, the Redfish data presents snow depth—not quite the same thing for while the first climbs to a maximum, the second first climbs, but then falls. Nevertheless, both are informative.
But, the real question now is what happens if Nelson deems this experimental communication with the gods to have been a success? Might we expect to see more local signs imploring gods and goddesses. Maybe one in the August forest directed at Silvanus: No burning allowed. Or a zoning sign in May facing downwards under the bridge instructing nymphs and naiads: No high rises.
Maybe Nelson is on to something.
(Arlene Anderson’s picture is used with permission).
Hi Alistair, the redfish snow pillow is an old (and informative) friend of mine. I often refer to offerings of the pillow when planning ski trips, as the site offers high elevation temperature and snowfall at the click of a mouse. We do live in wondrous times! I have had occasion to hike and ski past the site of the weather station, located in an open meadow within the high elevation “parkland” forest. Very nice spot in the winter and the summer.
I have never seen the Redfish snow pillow. However, I first encountered this ingenious device in 1964 when it was just a research tool; long before it was ever used operationally. Thank you for recognizing that despite the whimsy, this posting was really about locally available information on snowfall. But, after Arlene Anderson sent me that funny picture, I had to include it.