April snowfall record shattered

Another spring blizzard swept through the area over the weekend. The system resulted in another 18.3 inches of snow and 1.34 inches of precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Almost 70 percent of the snow from the system fell on Saturday, and accompanying high winds again led to several state highways closures in the area. Highway 212 was closed by 9 a.m., and by noon Highway 323 and Highway 7 were also closed. High winds persisted on Sunday and blizzard conditions continued, even as snow tapered off in the afternoon. It took crews until around 5 p.m. on Monday to clear drifts on Highway 7 and reopen the road from Ekalaka to Baker.

In total, the last two blizzard systems that moved through Ekalaka brought in 39.8 inches of snow and 2.75 inches of moisture. Totals for April, 2022 as of Wednesday morning were 45.6 inches of snow and 3.64 inches of precipitation. That precipitation total is the second highest ever recorded for the month of April in Ekalaka. The only year with more occurred in 2006 when the total precipitation was 5.6 inches. However, the snowfall total for April, 2022 in Ekalaka (45.6 inches) is a new all-time record for the month. The previous record was 25.3 inches and was also set in 2006.

More precipitation could come, likely in the form of rain, this weekend. The Wednesday morning forecast showed around a ninety percent chance of rain on Friday.