BOISE, Idaho — It snowed at Brundage Mountain Resort 21 out of 28 days in February as these storms brought 88 inches of fresh powder for skiers and snowboarders.
Brundage got nearly three feet more than average and it was the second snowiest month behind February of 2019.
“Comparing snowfall totals from year to year is always fun,” added April Whitney of Brundage Mountain Resort. “But the light, dry quality of this snow is just as exciting as the quantity. Right now, people who love powder are as stoked as we’ve ever seen them, and that’s more important to us than any statistic.”
But statistics are also key because the snowpack does more than just give skiers and snowboarders a chance to rip the fresh powder.
Here's a link to the NRCS SNOTEL data which shows the snow water equivalent percentage that helps farmers predict how much water they will have for irrigation and give river runners an idea of the spring runoff for Idaho rivers.
February has helped push most areas in Idaho over the 100 percent mark those include the Payette River basin, the Salmon River basin, the Weiser River, the Spokane River, most of the Snake River basins and the Clearwater River which has the highest percentage in the state at 114 percent.
The Boise River is at 99 percent, the Bruneau sits at 93 percent and the Owyhee is at 84 percent.
The Big Wood River basin around Sun Valley actually lost a couple of percentage points dropping to 85 percent and the two areas that aren't doing well are the Little Wood River at 67 percent and the Big Lost at 69 percent.
Several factors remain on how the snowpack will affect the summer months including how fast the snow melts and what happens in March.
But skiers and snowboarders hope the white stuff continues to fall and the spring season outlook looks good at Brundage.
However, all the snow also creates hazards we did a story earlier this week on the dangers of tree wells.
Brundage is also using technology to keep people safe with the AirFlare mountain rescue app, this app turns phones into a rescue beacon.
"This is really slick you can download it once, give it permission to ping you then after that it is passive," said Whitney. "Just by having it on your phone, we can ping you if one of your friends reports you missing.”
The AirFlare app is becoming more popular in the outdoor community and Brundage pass holders can also get a discount on this app.
