You know it's been a bad winter when the devices used to measure the depth of the snowpack are too short to do the job.
Scientists encountered that problem on Wednesday when they tried to measure the snow depth at Mount Rose Ski Tahoe near Reno, Nevada.
The metal tube was shoved into more than 16 feet of snow. "We're not even close," hydrologist Jeff Anderson said,
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The area has been suffering through years of severe drought. They were measuring the least amount of snowpack two years ago, Anderson told USA Today.
This year is being called a historic winter.
The snow measured 212 inches deep this week, or more than 17 feet deep.
Water content has been measured at 74.6 inches. That means there's more than 6 feet of water in the snow, setting a record for March 1.
The last time a record was set in the area on the same day was in 1997, when there was more than 5 feet. The most water/snow ratio was set in May 1995, with more than 7 feet of snow water.
The records aren't being set only in Reno.
South of Lake Tahoe, one location measured more than 9 feet of snow with water content measuring 43 inches.
Snowpack in California is estimated at 185 percent of normal, USA Today reported.
One ski resort had so much snow last week that it buried the chairlifts, The Washington Post reported.
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows had over 7 feet last week, and a season snowfall of 565 inches, or 47 feet. It is expected to remain open through July 4. According to the resort's snow report, it has a 229-inch base with 38 lifts in operation and 204 runs open to skiers.
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