SNOWPACK PREDICTION CONTEST: BOGUS BASIN SNOWSCHOOL (Spring 2022)
Can your classroom accurately predict how quickly the snow at Bogus Basin will melt this spring? How about the snow/water equivalent? Send SnowSchool your prediction and you could win a prize for your entire classroom! The closest class wins the prize!! Winners will be announced in May!
Send your prediction to:
kmcclay@winterwildlands.org
For groups making predictions in March/April: We want to know what your prediction for what day the SnowSchool Weather Station will first show 0 inches of snow. In other words, when will all the snow melt? How quickly the snow will melt is something snow scientists track and try to predict every spring. Make sure to look at the historical information further down the page. One prediction (day) per class please.
Example: Prediction Mr Adam’s class- May 1st 2022
Once you make your prediction your class name will be added to this page below and you will be able to track and compare your prediction to the live snowpack graph as it melts (or grows!) each week of the spring!
The graph above updates daily.
SnowSchool K-12 class contest predictions how much snow we will have on May 1st 2019.
To view the webpage for the SnowSchool Weather Station click the picture below:
View the interactive map of weather stations in the Boise area:
Learn more about the connection between mountain snow and water:
HISTORICAL SNOWPACK DATA: Its important to keep track of snow, how much of it there is in the mountains because mountain snow is our source of water in Idaho. If we have less snow than normal, we could have less water available for people to use. In making your prediction you will want to look at what happened in previous years (see graphs below), how much snow and snow/water equivalent we have on the ground right now (above graph), any data you collected during your SnowSchool field trip, and historical/forecasted weather. To help with your predictions we’ve included a graph below of what happened last year and the year before (the very first year it was installed) at the SnowSchool Weather Station (Elevation 6241 ft) –
Summary of Last 6 Years, first day of 0 inches of snow!-
May 11th 2016 = first day of 0 inches of snow
May 12th 2017 = first day of 0 inches of snow
April 28th 2018 = first day of 0 inches of snow
May 7th 2019 = first day of 0 inches of snow
May 12th 2020 = first day of 0 inches of snow
May 3rd 2021 = first day of 0 inches of snow
Graphs
SnowSchool Weather Station Winter 2015-16
Other Weather Stations: The SnowSchool Weather Station isn’t the only weather station around that records snow and water levels. Nearby is the Bogus Basin SNOTEL Station that records the same type of information and its been around a lot longer. However, because of its location this station typically gets MORE SNOW than the SnowSchool Weather Station. So use the information below cautiously:
All available snow data from Bogus Basin SNOTEL Station since 1999:
Want to see more information from the Bogus Basin SNOTEL site? Click here!
Winter Wildlands Alliance is a national nonprofit organization promoting and
preserving winter wildlands and a quality human-powered snowsports
experience on public lands.
