Outlook for water crossings

The Pemi is really up there

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?01074520

600-700 cfs is usually right around the upper limit of my comfort Zone.

With the rain and snowpack melting, everyone should be mindfull of any routes that cross sizable waterways, falling into meltwater is a quick way to buy the farm, Ive done it, not fun.

Most of the streams in Gorham are cranking, there was still 3 feet of snow pack in the woods around my yard and 2 feet in my front yard on Sunday and its all rapidly turning liquid. I expect the crossings will still be crazy by the weekend.

I remember reading that some of the daily peaks are not during the warmest hours of the day, as it takes time for the snow/ice that melts up high to make its way downstream. It's a good idea to check the stream gauges if one is available where you are going.

Tom Rankin said:

I remember reading that some of the daily peaks are not during the warmest hours of the day, as it takes time for the snow/ice that melts up high to make its way downstream. It's a good idea to check the stream gauges if one is available where you are going.

Click to expand...

It definately looks like it crested sometime on April 12 and is heading back down, however, with new rain on the way pretty much every day this week, I'd say most crossings will be troublesome throughout the weekend at the very least.
(and now I don't feel so bad that I have to work!)

Una dogger I like the new avatar, very nice.

sierra said:

Una dogger I like the new avatar, very nice.

Click to expand...

Thx, courtesy of TimC ;-)

Im technology wise a caveman, how do you ad an avatar? can someone give me the beta?

sierra said:

Im technology wise a caveman, how do you ad an avatar? can someone give me the beta?

Click to expand...

User CP > Edit Avatar

Doug

thanks doug.

Just noticed, max cfs for April, a whopping 9,090 in 2002!

Holy smokers ! Does anyone remember that??

una_dogger said:

Just noticed, max cfs for April, a whopping 9,090 in 2002!

Holy smokers ! Does anyone remember that??

Click to expand...

I do not remember much about April 2002, but there were over 3 inches of liquid precip measured at the MWO on the 13th-14th, along with temperatures reaching 42 F, so that would have been a great combination to cause some serious melting of the snowpack.

http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/summit.php

Dr. Dasypodidae said:

I do not remember much about April 2002, but there were over 3 inches of liquid precip measured at the MWO on the 13th-14th, along with temperatures reaching 42 F, so that would have been a great combination to cause some serious melting of the snowpack.

http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/summit.php

Click to expand...

Oh yeah, the summit archives say only 5 inches of snow on the summit of Washington April 14, 2002! That explains alot!

Climbed up on the Franconia Ridge today via Falling Waters, and the stream crossing were not an issue. Much of the rain of the past week on the higher peaks seems to have been largely absorbed by the snowpack. At some point the streams will be roaring up on the high peaks, but not until the temps increase, and more importantly - stay warm during the evening as well.

A bit off-topic, but if anyone is interested in seeing some huge snowpack walls and pseudo-avalanche debris - hike up the Falling Waters trail as far as the tall cascade. Have never seen anything remotely approaching what occurred during ice-out.

una_dogger said:

Oh yeah, the summit archives say only 5 inches of snow on the summit of Washington April 14, 2002! That explains alot!

Click to expand...

I do not think that the snow depth measurements on the summit are nearly as reliable as their precip can measurments, especially if the precipitation is liquid with little wind. So, my guess is that the 5 inch snow depth on the summit was not representative of what was probably a much thicker snowpack across the Whites available for a meltdown on April 14th 2002, as snowpacks based on water equivalent are usually near their peak in late March to early April (i.e., snow typically reaches its maximum density once the snowpack becomes isothermal, which it has not done yet this spring, as Kevin notes on Franconia ridge today and I found to be the case on Hale this past Tuesday).

In contrast with April 2002, the summit only recorded about a half inch of liquid precip this past Monday, but it sure seemed like more than that fell in the 45 minutes that it took me to drive across the Kanc early that morning (along with lots of thunder and lightning). And, the Whites sure looked a lot less white when I drove through Franconia Notch to Mount Hale on Tuesday.

I think that's generally true about the summit snowpack not being representative. The snow blows away up there. Where it's really loaded up with snow is in the woods. Same over here in the Adks. On a recent trip, there was 6-8 feet of snowpack in the woods, but extensive bare rock on the open summit.

Dr. Dasypodidae said:

I do not remember much about April 2002, but there were over 3 inches of liquid precip measured at the MWO on the 13th-14th, along with temperatures reaching 42 F, so that would have been a great combination to cause some serious melting of the snowpack.

Click to expand...

My notes from 2002 seem to indicate that the rain dissipated fast:
Apr.16 - Fox Forest, Hillsborough - so sunny and hot that we had to rest in shade
Apr.21? - Stony Brk Tr - another sunny hot day, preferred napping in sun to going all the way to Moriah, snow in patches
Apr.24 - Kinsmen from Lafayette Place - met Dan from Lexicomm who had backpacked from Kinsman Notch who used the term "monorail" for the first time I heard it, some snow most of hike
Apr.27 - Owls Head - dusting of fresh snow on Lincoln Brook Trail that melted by afternoon and a couple feet above slide, did crossings dry with rubber boots. Did Black Pond bushwhack on way in and Franconia Falls bushwhack on way out. A faster group left before I did but went around on trail so I got to slide first, on way out we split at last Lincoln Brook crossing and I got to parking lot first as they used trail.

I do not recall seeing so many downed trees in the Pemi at the Woodstock bridge (near fire station):


The falls at both Johnson Brook (Rt 175 bridge) and Campton Pond are also flowing hard and fast:

On Saturday the rock gage at six mile bridge was well over the 3 foot mark, meaning it was close to or at a class five for kayaking.

I believe the bypass channel in Berlin at the PSNH dam is open. If you havent seen the Androscoggin run in the old channel, its very impressive.