Introduction
Location Map
Base Map
Database Schema
Conventions
GIS Analyses
Flowchart
GIS Concepts
Results
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Introduction

View of the Gore Range in Summit County, CO. Photo courtesy of bobdentphotography.com

The aim of this GIS research project is to examine the spatial variability of snowpack depth in Colorado’s mountains. Snow depth is a seemingly simple measurement but it actually has a number of complicating factors. Snowpack depth is constantly changing due to aeolian processes, sublimation, compaction of fresh snow, and melting, so the timing of measurements is critical. Further, different measurement techniques can lead to inherent bias or misrepresentation of the actual snow depth (for example, a settlement cone typically forms around a permanent stake used to measure snow depth since heat from the stake itself causes the snow next to it to melt or settle faster than it would in a regular field of snow).

Because reporting and advertising the depth of their snowpack is critical to the success of ski resorts, we decided to focus our attention on Summit County, Colorado, the site of five well-known resorts. These resorts; Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Loveland; have a vested interest in reporting the most snow possible in order to attract customers. However, their reports are also governed by industry operating standards and principles of scientific integrity. Some of them even make a point of explaining their commitment to reporting snow “accurately and transparently.” (Breckenridge Snow Reporting FAQs )

This tension between standards and the desire to advertise led us to ask the question: do ski resorts lie in their reports of snow depth? To provide an answer, we collected data from all the available sources in this area, including automated SNOTEL stations, community CoCoRaHS observers, snow courses, and weather stations. We utilized a number of GIS tools and spatial statistics to interpolate this data across the area and generate predicted snow depths for the elevations and areas where the ski resorts made their measurements. Read on to find out if our results match their reports!