Snowfall Breaks Record -- Mt. Baker Topped Out At 95 Feet

When it comes to snowfall, Mount Baker is king of the hill.

Exactly 1,140 inches - that's 95 feet - of snow fell on the Mount Baker Ski Area from July 1, 1998, through June 30, the most ever measured in the United States in a single season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced yesterday.

It is also accepted as the world record for largest verifiable snowfall, breaking the mark of 1,122 inches set at Paradise on Mount Rainier during 1971-72.

"This does break the Mount Rainier/Paradise record," said Kirsten Willman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The record comes as no surprise, said Lief Hazelet, trails and winter sports manager for the Mount Baker Ranger District.

The ski area, located at the 4,200 foot level, still has three to four feet of snow, he said yesterday.

The season's heavy snowfall caused numerous problems for Mount Baker and the ski area. The ski area used 200 percent more dynamite for avalanche control than during a normal season.

In addition, the ski area was closed for two days to clear the roads and dig out the towers that hold the ski lifts.

"It's melting fast now, but in some areas it won't be gone until September," Hazelet said. "Then winter storms will be moving in."

The Mount Baker Ski Area has La Nina to thank for the record. The weather pattern produced an increase in wet weather throughout the Pacific Northwest.

NOAA declared the record after a recommendation by the National Climate Extremes Committee, made up of representatives from the American Association of State Climatologists, the Western Regional Climate Center and NOAA.

The committee said the measurement met snowfall observation standards and practices prescribed by the National Weather Service.

While it is considered a "verifiable amount" of snowfall, the record comes with an asterisk. Experts believe more snow falls in the Himalayas, but no one is there to measure it.