Winter is the season for skiing, gliding down snow-covered slopes glistening under the sun, and then spending peaceful moments in cozy, snowy cabins – a dream for many skiing enthusiasts. So, which mountain range in the United States gets the most snow?
According to a report by “USA Today,” experts suggest that this question is much more complex than you might imagine.
Daniel McEvoy, Associate Professor at the Western Regional Climate Center, stated, “You hear about a storm giving us 2 inches of snow, another storm bringing 3 feet of snow, but measuring snowfall is one of the most difficult things.”
The label of “most snow” may depend on whether discussing the place with the most snowfall or the place with the most snow on the ground. McEvoy mentioned that snow monitoring equipment is not always placed at the highest altitudes, and for some hard-to-reach peaks, humans cannot measure snowfall.
David Robinson, a Geography Professor at Rutgers University, also noted that there is no uniform standard for measuring snowfall.
Robinson explained that while snowfall is determined by surrounding weather patterns, many factors such as location, altitude, humidity, and wind affect snowfall. Snowfall can vary significantly in different locations, with stark differences even within a hundred feet.
Although many official monitoring stations measure snowfall in the same way, in other places, including some ski resorts, the standards for measuring and reporting snowfall may not be as strict.
When new records emerge, doubts arise about the accuracy of measuring snowfall at specific locations. In the winter of 1998-1999, Mount Baker ski resort in northern Washington experienced a massive increase in snowfall, totaling an astounding 1,140 inches, leading to skepticism from many.
After releasing the resort’s annual snowfall data, the National Weather Service convened a panel to study the data measurement methods in that area. The committee ultimately certified the snowfall data at that ski resort, designating Mount Baker in the Cascade Mountains of Washington as holding the world record for single-season snowfall, unofficially granting it the title of the peak with the highest snowfall in the United States.
Data from 1991 to 2020 provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Climate Center allowed us to glimpse the Western mountain ranges in the contiguous 48 states with the highest average snowfall during this period.
These results used a scientific measurement method known as snow water equivalent, where samples are taken from snow and measured after melting. The figures obtained through this method are much lower than the records at Mount Baker, which track actual snow depth.
At 5,270 feet elevation, Easy Pass on Mount Baker in Washington had a snowfall of 89.5 inches.
Lower Lassen Peak in California, at 8,250 feet elevation, received 78.9 inches of snow.
Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, at 5,130 feet elevation, had 69.5 inches of snowfall.
Brown Top in North Cascades National Park in Washington received 64 inches of snow.
At 4,440 feet elevation, Swift Creek on Sumas Mountain in Washington saw 63.8 inches of snowfall.
Mirror Lake in the Wallowa Mountains in Washington, at 8,120 feet elevation, had 63.4 inches of snow.
Marten Ridge on Mount Baker in Washington, at 3,520 feet elevation, experienced 58.4 inches of snowfall.
Lyman Lake at Chiwawa Peak in Wenatchee National Forest in Washington, at 5,980 feet elevation, received 58.3 inches of snow.
At 4,970 feet elevation, Nooksack in Washington had 57.7 inches of snowfall.
Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, at 6,570 feet elevation, saw 57.5 inches of snowfall.