Aspen Mountains enjoy an exceptional year with snow

Scott Condon
Aspen Correspondent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
April 3, 2008

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SNOWMASS, COLORADO — No record snowfalls were recorded at Aspen ski areas in March, but the most recent storm boosted the season total at Snowmass to an eye-popping 407 inches (and counting).

The Aspen Skiing Co. recorded 20 inches of snow at Snowmass from the storm that closed out March. Anything that fell after 5 a.m. Monday gets counted toward April’s totals, said Aspen spokesman Jeff Hanle.

So with the official book closed on March, here’s how the season at Snowmass shapes up:

• 118 inches fell in December, setting a record for the month.

• 95 inches fell in January, also setting a record for the month.

• 87 inches fell in February.

• 88 inches fell in March. (That fell significantly below the record of 101 inches that fell in 1984.) Snowmass collected more snow than Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands or Buttermilk this season, Hanle said.

Aspen Mountain, which also received 20 inches of snow from this most recent blast, now has a season total of 321 inches at its summit.

What makes this season particularly impressive is the consistency. “I can’t find another December, January, February and March that matches this one,” Hanle said.

Prior winters — even the legendary season of 1983-84 — had at least one dud month, the records indicate. November was the only dud this winter at Aspen and Snowmass.

Depending on what fell Monday night, more than 34 feet of snow likely has fallen at Snowmass this season since Nov. 1. But March also produced what passes this season as a drought. No snow fell from March 22 to March 29, marking the longest period of the season without the white stuff, Hanle said.

There were 13 days of snow during the month and 10 days of 4 or more inches of powder. Each month, from December through March, had 10 powder days with 4 or more inches.

Hanle is reluctant to call this season a record-breaker. Part of the problem is questions about snow recording in the past and the possibility of inconsistencies. For example, he doesn’t know if 1983-84 data was collected as of Nov. 1 or beginning with Thanksgiving.

He did feel safe saying that the 400-inch mark for the season has only been broken twice before. The season average is about 300 inches.