By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer
Buildings in Crater Lake National Park are almost completely buried in snow following one of the snowiest February's in the park’s history.
The park is located in southern Oregon and is home to the deepest lake in the United States. At an elevation of over 7,000 feet, the areas at the rim of the lake average over 500 inches of snow every winter.
“Since the park's monitoring started in 1931, it's the seventh highest February total (154 inches). Other than 1999, all of the other top 10 years occurred prior to 1960,” Crater Lake National Park said on Facebook.
These images show the Rim Village at Crater Lake National Park on March, 2, 2019, and what the Rim Village looks like when there is no snow is on the ground. (First Image: Crater Lake National Park/Emily Hunter; Second Image: Google Earth)
The 154 inches that fell last month is close to double the average February snowfall, but nowhere close to the February record of 248 inches set in 1949.
Snow will continue to pile up in the park in the coming weeks before the storm track shifts north, spelling the end of the winter snowstorms.
Snow piled up along a multi-story building at Crater Lake. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
Buildings at Rim Village almost completely buried in snow on March 3, 2019. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park)
A building in Crater Lake National Park being dug out following major winter storms in early 2016. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
Wizard Island in the middle of Crater Lake in the winter. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
A family snowshoeing at Crater Lake. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
One of the snow removers used to clear the roads in Crater Lake National Park. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
Crews clearing roads in Crater Lake National Park in April 2016. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
Crews working to clear snow from roads in the park in early May 2016. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
The Crater Lake Science & Learning Center after crews cleared a path to the building in May of 2017. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
A park ranger snowshoeing to a weather station in Crater Lake National Park that sends weather information to the National Weather Service. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
A skier enjoying the snow near Crater Lake in 2015. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
A plow clearing the road to Rim Village. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
Crews clearing snow from roads in Crater Lake on Arpil 4, 2014. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
A woman snowshoeing at the rim of Crater Lake on Dec. 16, 2016. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
Volunteers snowshoeing aroung the rim of Crater Lake in 2015. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
The Steele Visitor Center buried in heavy snow on Jan. 10, 2017. (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
Heavy snow falling over Crater Lake on Dec. 23, 2015 (Photo/Crater Lake National Park Facebook)
Snow removal typically doesn’t start until mid-April and takes months for all of the roads in the park to open following winter storms.
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“The park uses a combination of heavy bulldozers and rotary plows to remove snow, ice, and rockfalls that have accumulated since the road closed last autumn,“ Crater Lake National Park said.
Some roads may remain closed until July as crews work to clear all of the snow and debris following months of storms.
Although many areas near the lake’s rim are only accessible by snowshoe during the winter and spring, the Steel Visitor Center, located at a lower elevation, is open year-round with the exception of Christmas Day.
People planning to visit Crater Lake should check the most recent conditions reports on the park’s website.
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