Beartooth Basin isn't opening again this summer
- Thread starter Patrick
- Start date
That's surprising. Jackson and Bridger are below average this season but still in the 90% range. Of course it's moderately likely that Beartooth's snowpack has been decreasing over the past 3+ weeks of abnormally warm weather. Still it's surprising the snowpack is low enough already to make that call now not to open. In a much worse snow year last season the call not to open was made on May 6.
Indeed, Red Lodge had a horrible year. They got a huge dump a couple weeks ago which helped their numbers look a little less pathetic, but like EMSC said, way below their seasonal avg.
I remember watching a story last year (did a quick search and found it) about the disappearing snow fields in the Beartooth's.
http://www.kulr8.com/story/30137369/bea ... ng-climate
p.s. it's been 80 here in Whitefish 4 times already this year. 86 is the predicted high tomorrow.
I remember watching a story last year (did a quick search and found it) about the disappearing snow fields in the Beartooth's.
http://www.kulr8.com/story/30137369/bea ... ng-climate
p.s. it's been 80 here in Whitefish 4 times already this year. 86 is the predicted high tomorrow.
The extreme nature of the 2015 winter/spring to little surprise led to melting out of some previously permanent snowfields in the Beartooths per snowave's reference. Permanent for perhaps 700-1000 years based upon the bison bones exposed by the snowmelt.
I doubt the poma lifts on the Beartooth Highway are located on formerly permanent snow. Even in big years those pomas would close in early July. Pics from my report viewtopic.php?t=11007 show the end was near (Beartooth closed 3 days after our visit) in June 22 in 2013.
We know now that both 2015 and 2016 were terrible years in Red Lodge/Beartooth, so I have moderate confidence that the Beartooth area will return to action in normal or better snow years. I'm sure we'll find out if the predicted La Nina for 2017 materializes.
I doubt the poma lifts on the Beartooth Highway are located on formerly permanent snow. Even in big years those pomas would close in early July. Pics from my report viewtopic.php?t=11007 show the end was near (Beartooth closed 3 days after our visit) in June 22 in 2013.
We know now that both 2015 and 2016 were terrible years in Red Lodge/Beartooth, so I have moderate confidence that the Beartooth area will return to action in normal or better snow years. I'm sure we'll find out if the predicted La Nina for 2017 materializes.