Unique snowfall distribution over the Park Range and Upper Yampa River Valley during the La Nina winter of 2007-2008

The 2007 and 2008 winter season exhibited record snowfall for portions of northwest Colorado, including locations in and around the Park Range near Steamboat Springs. While heavy snowfall is common for this portion of Colorado, early season expectations were for a more normal snowfall distribution across the region, with heavy snow falling at the top of the passes and lighter amounts in the valley bases. A look at several reporting sites will be examined across a tight geographical region from the town of Steamboat Springs, to the reporting stations at the Steamboat Spring Ski Area, to a remote sensor located at Buffalo Pass, more commonly referred to as the Tower Snotel. Typically, during La Nina winters, the Tower site will see greater snowfall accumulations than the two other sites based on percentages of normal. However, during the 2007 and 2008 winter, this pattern was reversed, with record snowfall accumulations reported at the mid mountain site and in the town of Steamboat Springs. A closer examination as to why this pattern reversal occurred based on dynamical and microphysical impacts. Hydrological implications due to anomalies in the spatial distribution in the snowpack will also be examined.