Petersburg snowpack swings from record low to above average

Petersburg area mountain snowpack has rebounded dramatically from near-record lows in early December to above-average depths at lower elevations, according to the last two months of snow surveys conducted by the U.S. Forest Service.

The City Reservoir site at 550 feet elevation measured 19.1 inches of snow in early January, about 148% of the long-term average for this time of year. In early December, the same site had no snow at all.

At the higher elevation Raven’s Ridge site at 1,650 feet, snow depth measured 28 inches in January — still only 72% of typical for this time of year. In December,...