Last weekend, I took my familiy on a trip to see the Lava Beds National Monument (the kids had a great time exploring the lava tube caves) and also a stop at Crater Lake. Crater Lake happens to have a USHCN weather station, and it is one of the few stations that GISS excludes (they have an exclusion code for it in their software Mosher located some time ago). This is what the station looked like in fall 2007 when I visited:

And here it is was on May 29th, 2011, from approximately the same view:

My lovely wife, who is a better photographer than I am, (and lighter on her feet) took a hike to the top of the snow and got this photo:

Note the rain gauge on the stilt tripod and the tracks leading to it. That was placed there by park staff in an effort to catch May rains…except, it was snowing the day we were there. There is also a snowboard to catch fresh snowfall to the left of the tower.

Note the Stevenson screen has been elevated on the tower, here is a closeup:

Note the MMTS thermistor temperature shield on top of the Stevenson Screen (circular plates), an addition since 2007. It moves up and down the tower with the screen based on snow depth.

How much snow was there at the end of May? A closeup of the snowpole gives a value:

Snow depth on May 29th, 2011, just shy of 10 feet.

The posted weather statement in the visitor’s center is enlightening:

Snow depth, 213% of average. One wonders if it will melt before winter sets it.

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