High Sierra Topix

Thank you for that Jeff, appreciate you taking the time to post the photo and giving us that information so quickly.

maverick wrote:These posts are some of the reasons I will stay in a dryer and warmer area, visiting and hiking in snowy areas is fine, but living in it, nope.

Living there as a twenty-something who could shovel endlessly and ski anytime he wanted was great. Now nearing mid-sixties, I have to agree with you.

Living there as a twenty-something who could shovel endlessly and ski anytime he wanted was great. Now nearing mid-sixties, I have to agree with you.

Guess this is a reason that many folks who are well off and retired become snowbirds.

I'm not ready to move! Once every 24 years isn't too much to take. And I just look at shoveling as a good source of exercise. Do miss the opportunity to go skiing but even more miss the fact that the nasty weather means I can't go out with "the Other Woman!"

You could go out and sit in her and put on the "VR" goggles and dream about big Kokes.. And definitely get that snow away from the window.

I just have flooded roads to deal with. Prius and Hummer's floating everywhere this week.. Idiots..

Probably got you all beat! After snow last week (a lot didn't pay attention) then torrential rains 20 + inches almost flooded on the weekend had 15000 cfs on the south fork of the Yuba, just as a comparison the flood of 1997 at the same gauge was 18500 cfs so damn big! Got home Monday morning as the river subsided to find a house still intake and chickens still alive! So monday I fixed my road (3/4 mile long) to be ready for the snow! I have received in excess of 8 feet (5 feet in 1 day) since then probably more but whos counting! The past 3 days have had to remove about 10 trees a day to be able to get out. Nowmaybe 4 days of clear weather before a day of heavy rain then more snow! Yep living off grid on/by Donner Summit GREAT FUN (that part is a joke!) Thank something I am kind of used to this crap but it still sucks while it is happening!

Kristine

Glad to see you are dealing well with the adverse conditions independently. Living off the grid is a tough decision and means taking responsibility for yourself. There is a community in central oregon that is off the grid that has not been able to deal with the snow and are requesting help but the local governments are completely overwhelmed serving the people who are paying taxes for the government services.

Gazelle wrote:.. 8 feet ...off grid on/by Donner Summit...

Hopefully you won't have to resort to cannibalism! (just kidding)

Interesting to view statistics of how much high water was flowing down each of our rivers during peak flows of the storms last week. FNF means full natural flows that is a calculation for unimpeded flows with dam storages taken into account.

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/stages/FNF

FEATHER AT OROVILLE 110,274
AMERICAN AT FOLSOM 106,786
SACTO AT BEND BRIDGE 102,673
YUBA AT SMARTVILLE 83,782
LAKE SHASTA TOTAL INFLOW 67,622
TUOLUMNE AT DON PEDRO 64,576
SAN JOAQUIN AT MILLERTON 37,552
STANISLAUS AT GOODWIN 34,605
KINGS AT PINE FLAT 28,838
MERCED AT MCCLURE 27,585
MOKELUMNE AT PARDEE 23,544
COSUMNES AT MICH BAR 20,204
TRINITY AT CLAIR ENGLE 12,359
KAWEAH AT TERMINUS 9,012
KERN AT ISABELLA 8,239

The peak flows were the result of rain and snow plus melting snow pack. The American River was so high because it had much more snow versus Northern Sierra Nevada areas that have lower elevations thus less snow. Before the storms, the Southern Sierra had been somewhat below average thus not as much to melt and much of the precipitation was all snow at High Sierra elevations.

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/riv_flows.html

The peak flows in the state were none of the above. On 1/11 the Eel River at Scotia recorded 204,875 CFS and the Klamath River 148,417 CFS.

The real whopper flood in my lifetime was this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_flood_of_1964

snippet:

...By December 23, 752,000 cubic feet per second (21,300 m3/s) of water rushed down the Eel River at Scotia (still upstream from the confluence of the Van Duzen River),[6] 200,000 cubic feet per second (5,660 m3/s) more than the 1955 flood, and more than the average discharge of the entire Mississippi River basin.[9] Just under 200,000 cubic feet per second (5,660 m3/s) of water flowed down the South Fork Eel River alone, causing severe damage along its entire length.[6] Every single stream gauge on the Eel River was destroyed.[7] The flood crest at Miranda was 46 feet (14 m). Signs were later placed on top of tall poles to mark the unusual height of the water.[10]

The Smith River, located in Del Norte County near the Oregon border, reached flows of 228,000 cubic feet per second (6,460 m3/s) at Hiouchi,[11] easily surpassing the 1955 flood's previous record of 165,000 cubic feet per second (4,670 m3/s).[7] The town of Gasquet received 26.6 inches (676 mm) of rain over an eight-day period, and Crescent City received 9.2 inches (230 mm).[7]

The Klamath River reached flows of 557,000 cubic feet per second (15,800 m3/s),[12] submerging the town of Klamath under 15 feet (4.6 m) of water...