Fall snow levels can predict a season's total snowpack in some western states (IMAGE)
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Research led by the University of Washington found that, in some western states, the amount of snow already on the ground by the end of December is a good predictor of how much total snow that area will get. In Washington's Cascades (shown here near Cle Elum, Washington, in November), snow on the ground in the fall increases the likelihood that additional "wintry mix" precipitation will freeze and add to the snowpack later in the season.
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Mark Stone/University of Washington
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