Show SNOW w PATROLS SCALE MOUNTAINS v TO GAUGE YEARS YEAR'S WATER SUPPLY Salt t ker r Fathered Survey Now Used by Weather 7 sur Bureau au Salt Salts Lakers enjoying warin warm spring weather may maywell well be envied b by toll toil II ing ng rangers of the snow patrol who brave winters winter's fury to depth of snow and and water content in the Wasatch mountains a few miles awa away avay Anxious us farmers speculating as to summer water impatiently await the rangers' rangers findings for thanks thankS' to J J. J Cecil Alter meteorologist in charge chalce of the Salt Lake weather bureau these same farmers learn months in advance the actual summer vater water content of now blanketed mountains and canyons Rang rs' rs of the rock ribbed th the high Sierras the wooded Alleghenies Alle- Alle rangers of ot the entire world in fact can thank Mr Alter for or their snow gauging jobs It was in 1907 that Mr Alter then a mere fledgling in weather bureau ranks first conceived the idea of measuring snow to del determine water content Scientific Job And when my pet idea finally was adopted and became so universally used and improved upon by others better prepared than myself I waS was just a little jealous Mr Alter laughed But it was a good thing others took it up I guess They made a real scientific job of it Maple Cl Creek eck k canyon in Utah county county coun coun- t ty was the thc site of the thc first snow now survey ev ever r made The year 1911 1011 Two years years of preparation went into that first trial J. J E. E Horton N. N Y first suggested sted the use use- oi hollow sampling tubes Charles F. F Marvin United States weather bureau helped develop snow tubes and measuring scales George D. D Clyde Clde Utah State Agricultural college made a special study of show gauging and put it iton iton iton on a systematic basis in Utah Dr J J. J E E. Cf Church Nevada contributed much to th the present methods Spread Over r World So popular did this unique system become that it spread throughout the United States and across the seas to the old world Where the sno snow lies level in moun moan tam ain tain meadows measurements are made mOlde Snow line courses arc are mapped duri during g summer months They average average aver aver- age a mile In length and run run in two lines crossing each other in a tangent tan tan- gent jent with sounding stations at distances distances dis dis- dis from 25 to 75 feet Cabins located near the lines are arc stocked with provisions shortly before winter win win- ter flurries Measurements are made during the months of January February and March in most places in the United States This practice Is being discontinued discontinued discon discon- in Utah A March measurement measurement measure measure- ment being deemed sufficient So systematic has Utah sampling become that it usually takes but one day todo to todo do the actual measuring rangers being being be be- ing assigned to each of ot the 50 to 60 stations Mountain l Meadows l Water content Is determined in mountain meadows from tram which spring sprin torrents dash down to kitchen and irrigation ditches The arduous arduous ar ar- ar task lies in reaching th these e ehigh high ligh plateaus situated along the backbone backbone back back- bone of mighty ranges Most Utah stations are arc on the thc precipitous divide divide di di- vide between the Colorado river and Great Salt lake drainage basins Sheathed against the cold their races faces covered by cloth masks for tor protection protection pro- pro against snow glare rangers set out on snowshoes or skis with their instruments A hollow tube approximately six inches in diameter and from six to ten feet long is forced through the snow in a circular motion until the ground is touched Filled with snow ri c 1 J s j. j iE I 44 1 7 M c W A c 4 f I 4 f 0 4 fl f t 11 r t I I U t I 4 7 I L yi T J tA 1 2 the tube is 15 then withdrawn and w weighed on a scale calc which computes the theater ilter content in inches Al Alpen Alpenstocks Alpenstocks n stocks barometers and a a. a compass complete equipment Brighton Survey The last survey made at Brighton in Big Cottonwood canyon February 28 showed 70 inches of snow on the level with a water content of inches The average snow depth at Brighton for the past 17 years has been inches A 15 year average of February water content con eon tent was Inches So far as the local watershed is concerned there is little to worry about according to Mr Alter i he added added add add- Unfortunately however ed cd this average is not true for the rest of or the state this year ear When final inal reports c come mc in I am afraid the eastern and s southern portions of pf the state will sS snow show snow th than 6 usuaL L The section from Cache to Utah counties coun coun- ties Ies where most of Utah's population is concentrated has the most snow for this year ear Utah's main snow gauging Is done on March 31 Utah rangers are mote more more fortunate than their brothers of the high Sierras Sierras- whose isolated stations ne necessitate hazardous travel for weeks at a time to determine how much water the rancher ranch ranch- er Cr sportsman and power company will get next summer Being a of Uncle Sams Sam's snow patrol is no easy task as these photographs show The top picture shows a typical region for fora a snow cour course e top center shows J. J Cecil Alter chief of the local weather bureau on a snow survey survey sur sur- vey near Spanish Fork bottom center shows a typical snow measuring measuring measuring mea- mea suring outfit with William T T. Tew stopping for tor a bite of lunch The bottom picture shows one of the many accidents snow patrolmen meet with |