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John Hollenhorst ReportingThis year we are worried about flooding, but in other years we have worried about drought. So where does the information come from that tells us what to expect? The warning system began with one man 100 years ago this winter, and evolved into something he never would have imagined.
You've probably seen Randy Julander do those snow measurements in many a TV story over the years. Usually he's just double-checking data that electronic instruments have already measured. From 85 shelters in Utah, the data is sent out via radio antennae to thousands of offices linked by Internet all over the West.
Randy Julander, Snow Survey: "Being able to sit back at the office on an hourly basis and have this data come is just phenomenal."
It's a far cry from the first scientific snow survey, conducted 100 years ago this winter by professor of Literature, James Church. His goal was to gather snow data to help settle a water war over Lake Tahoe.
Randy Julander: "He was the only one brave enough and foolish enough to climb Mount Rose and start getting some data from the top of the mountain."
Instead of sophisticated instruments Church used what was on hand. He quickly realized that water content was the most crucial, so he ripped the stovepipe from his mountain cabin and plunged it into the snow.
Randy Julander: "And then pulled that whole sample back up, took it inside, put the stove back together and melted it, and then determined how much water was in that snowpack."
Nowadays, science makes it easy, providing 15 million pieces of data every year. And James Church would have been astonished by the accuracy.
Randy Julander: "Excellent, just really excellent."
But what does the data tell us this year about the threat of flooding? Well, it shows a good scenario so far, of gradual melting. But there will be high water later this year in some parts of northern Utah.
Randy Julander: "But we know it's coming, that's the big key. So we have time to prepare."
