Tahoe Miracle March Stats?

[Darkside]

Anyone know how much snow fell in Tahoe during the Miracle March of 1983? Squaw is reporting 13' of new snow for March, and it's only the 15th.

[The Dad]

By my calculation, Squaw High Camp has had 161" so far this month (437" 3/15 minus 276" 2/28)

Alpine Ski Patrol says that 111" fell in March 1983 (on the heels of 122" in February).

More ominously (and at the risk of sounding like a one-trick pony), they say that 163" fell in March 1982 (on the heels of only 7" in February, but 175" in January).

[enlosandes]

You guys are forgetting Miracle March of 2001, after it didn't snow at all for the whole season. We were skiing man made lame groomers til then. I think it snowed like 25 out of 31 days that month.

[The Dad]

Not according to Squaw -- total snowfall through 3/25/01 = 297"; total snowfall through 2/26/01 = 266". Or Alpine, which says 25". 25-31" does not a miracle make -- unless it's in one storm of a chain.

March 2002 was just shy of 100" -- maybe that's what you were thinking of? Still, we've already had more than five feet more than that, and the month isn't even half over, and more storms are on the way.

According to Alpine, the triple-digit Marches from 1971 through 2003 were in 1995 (180"), 1991 (188"), 1989 (102"), 1985 (114"), 1983 (111"), and 1982 (163"). March 1974 and 1975 had 99" and 98", respectively.

With more snow on the way for tomorrow, and at least one more storm next week, I think we may be in the midst of a record-breaker.

[gageyk]

The term "Miracle March" is usually reserved for March's that help pull a season up from an otherwise below average season. March '06 is just an above average month in a season in which we've had normal to above normal snowfall( above 7500 feet) and therefore snowpack since January.

The winters 0f '81-'82 and '82-'83 were both above normal from the start, '84-'85 was slightly above normal all season, '88-'89 was below normal, about 85% of normal snowpack. '94-'95 was the winter that wouldn't quit. March, April and May were big snow months. I remember skiing 3 feet of new snow at Kirkwood in mid-May.

The winter of '90-'91 was when the term Miracle March was truely earned. Many resorts did not open or were at less than 100% open on March 1. That season snowpack was only about 30% of normal on March 1, 1991; by April 1, 1991 snowpack was in the 90% of normal range. In the 25 seasons I've been skiing Tahoe, March is typically a snowy month.

[enlosandes]

Yes, I agree 1991 was the miracle March year becasue previously we hadn't gotten any snow for the whole season. Thanks for the clarification.

[Long duc dong]

How about april of 03. On 1/1/03 we had 191' inches at high camp. One 3/24/03 we had 266' up high, for a total of 75 inches for jan, feb, and march. But april...From the begining of April to May 9 high camp got 144 inches, to go from 266 to 410. That was the best skiing I have ever had. It seemed like we had bottomless storm days on KT and Red Dog, followed by nights when we would get 4-5 inches with the wind smoothing things out and keeping things stable, which results in perfect palisades conditions. I had many of the best ski days of my life that month. The sades, light towers, granite peak....Unbelievable. There is one thing I have forgotten, I do not remember if they opened silverado that month, I think they may have closed it for the season at that point. I remember riding the tram up and salivating at how good it looked, but that may have been the end of december 04', when they did not open it until around jan 4...which was the day after I blew my ACL....

[guermo]

The term "Miracle March" is usually reserved for March's that help pull a season up from an otherwise below average season. March '06 is just an above average month in a season in which we've had normal to above normal snowfall( above 7500 feet) and therefore snowpack since January.

The winters 0f '81-'82 and '82-'83 were both above normal from the start, '84-'85 was slightly above normal all season, '88-'89 was below normal, about 85% of normal snowpack. '94-'95 was the winter that wouldn't quit. March, April and May were big snow months. I remember skiing 3 feet of new snow at Kirkwood in mid-May.

The winter of '90-'91 was when the term Miracle March was truely earned. Many resorts did not open or were at less than 100% open on March 1. That season snowpack was only about 30% of normal on March 1, 1991; by April 1, 1991 snowpack was in the 90% of normal range. In the 25 seasons I've been skiing Tahoe, March is typically a snowy month.

Well put - you are right on the money.