Central Sierra Snow Lab

Vice Chancellor for Research > Museums and Science Centers > Central Sierra Snow Laboratory

Central Sierra
Snow Laboratory

Box 810
Soda Springs, CA 95728
(530) 426-0318, (530) 426-0319

The Location

The Facility

The Environment

The Data

The Area

Reservations and Contact Information

Emergency Response Plan (9-pg. PDF file)

The Location
CSSL is located in the historic Donner Pass region, nestled in the highlands of the Central Sierra Nevada. Directions to the lab are simple: take I-80 to the Soda Springs/Norden exit; then go 2.5 km east of Soda Springs on Donner Pass Road. (39°19'N, 120°22'W, 2100 m.)

The Facility
Researchers staff the snow lab year-round. Physical attributes include a main lab building with office space, an electronics workroom, a wet chemistry lab/darkroom, kitchen, bath, and 3 bedrooms. Support facilities include parking garages, a Sno-Cat garage with wood- and metal-working shops, a paint shed, and a propane back-up generator. The snow study site (located in a 50m diameter natural clearing) adjacent to the lab building features a wide array of hydrometeorological instruments, all wired to data loggers inside the Lab. This site has three instrument towers from 7 to 11m tall. A small instrument tower is located 100m north of Lab in a forested site. The Lab is isolated (5 minute walk) in winter which adds privacy and security.

The Environment
Set among Conifer dominated slopes (Lodgepole Pine, Red Fir, Whitebark Pine), just west of the Sierra Nevada crest, the Snow Lab presents a superior setting for meteorological study. A persistent maritime influence results in a climate with an average annual precipitation of 1.3 m; average annual snowfall is 10.4 m; average maximum snow depth is 2.4 m. Average yearly maximum and minimum air temperatures are 26 and -10°C. Located near the headwaters of the South Fork Yuba River, Castle Creek (containing rainbow and brown trout populations) runs 50m behind CSSL. A wide variety of mammal and bird species inhabit the forest surrounding the Lab.

The Data
CSSL has a fairly complete and consistent record of precipitation, snowfall, snow depth, and air temperature for the periods 1946-1952 and 1957-present. The Lab also has long-term data sets on wind speed and direction, solar radiation, snow temperature, relative humidity, and soil moisture. Archives containing a wide variety of data collected over the past fifty years also exist. Further, precipitation and air temperature records from other sites on Donner Summit (dating back to the turn of the century) are available. Check out the Snow Lab's real-time weather observations.

The Area
Donner Summit has several hundred full-time residents and supports 7 developed ski areas. In Soda Springs, there is a food market, a gas station, and a post office. Donner Summit has three hotels and several bed-and-breakfasts. CSSL is approximately 3 hours from the San Francisco Bay area; 90 minutes from Sacramento; 40 minutes from Reno, Nevada; 30 minutes from Lake Tahoe; and 15 minutes from Truckee.

For reservations or more information, please contact:

Randall Osterhuber
Staff Research Associate, Manager
Central Sierra Snow Laboratory
P.O. Box 810
Donner Pass Road,
1.5 miles east of Soda Springs, CA 95728
Phone: (530) 426-0318
Fax: (530) 426-0319
Email: randall@sierra.net

CSSL Accounting:

Joyce Leighton
Berkeley Natural History Museums
1101 Valley Life Sciences Building
University of California, Berkeley CA 94720-3070

Phone: (510) 643-0188
Fax: (510) 642-1822
Email: joyce@socrates.berkeley.edu

UC BERKELEY WWW | RESEARCH AT BERKELEY | OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR RESEARCH

Updated 09/24/02. Questions/Comments

Vice Chancellor for Research > Museums and Science Centers > Central Sierra Snow Laboratory

		Central Sierra Snow Laboratory Box 810 Soda Springs, CA 95728 (530) 426-0318, (530) 426-0319

The Location The Facility The Environment The Data The Area Reservations and Contact Information Emergency Response Plan (9-pg. PDF file)		The Location CSSL is located in the historic Donner Pass region, nestled in the highlands of the Central Sierra Nevada. Directions to the lab are simple: take I-80 to the Soda Springs/Norden exit; then go 2.5 km east of Soda Springs on Donner Pass Road. (39°19'N, 120°22'W, 2100 m.) The Facility Researchers staff the snow lab year-round. Physical attributes include a main lab building with office space, an electronics workroom, a wet chemistry lab/darkroom, kitchen, bath, and 3 bedrooms. Support facilities include parking garages, a Sno-Cat garage with wood- and metal-working shops, a paint shed, and a propane back-up generator. The snow study site (located in a 50m diameter natural clearing) adjacent to the lab building features a wide array of hydrometeorological instruments, all wired to data loggers inside the Lab. This site has three instrument towers from 7 to 11m tall. A small instrument tower is located 100m north of Lab in a forested site. The Lab is isolated (5 minute walk) in winter which adds privacy and security. The Environment Set among Conifer dominated slopes (Lodgepole Pine, Red Fir, Whitebark Pine), just west of the Sierra Nevada crest, the Snow Lab presents a superior setting for meteorological study. A persistent maritime influence results in a climate with an average annual precipitation of 1.3 m; average annual snowfall is 10.4 m; average maximum snow depth is 2.4 m. Average yearly maximum and minimum air temperatures are 26 and -10°C. Located near the headwaters of the South Fork Yuba River, Castle Creek (containing rainbow and brown trout populations) runs 50m behind CSSL. A wide variety of mammal and bird species inhabit the forest surrounding the Lab. The Data CSSL has a fairly complete and consistent record of precipitation, snowfall, snow depth, and air temperature for the periods 1946-1952 and 1957-present. The Lab also has long-term data sets on wind speed and direction, solar radiation, snow temperature, relative humidity, and soil moisture. Archives containing a wide variety of data collected over the past fifty years also exist. Further, precipitation and air temperature records from other sites on Donner Summit (dating back to the turn of the century) are available. Check out the Snow Lab's real-time weather observations. The Area Donner Summit has several hundred full-time residents and supports 7 developed ski areas. In Soda Springs, there is a food market, a gas station, and a post office. Donner Summit has three hotels and several bed-and-breakfasts. CSSL is approximately 3 hours from the San Francisco Bay area; 90 minutes from Sacramento; 40 minutes from Reno, Nevada; 30 minutes from Lake Tahoe; and 15 minutes from Truckee. For reservations or more information, please contact: Randall Osterhuber Staff Research Associate, Manager Central Sierra Snow Laboratory P.O. Box 810 Donner Pass Road, 1.5 miles east of Soda Springs, CA 95728 Phone: (530) 426-0318 Fax: (530) 426-0319 Email: randall@sierra.net CSSL Accounting: Joyce Leighton Berkeley Natural History Museums 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building University of California, Berkeley CA 94720-3070 Phone: (510) 643-0188 Fax: (510) 642-1822 Email: joyce@socrates.berkeley.edu