Western Weather 2017-18 and Later

Those Mammoth numbers usually but not always correspond exactly what I downloaded from the patrol website. I have 652.5 for 2010-11. That also excludes 5 inches on October 5 which was surely long gone before it next snowed Oct. 30. I counted Oct. 30 because it snowed in early November on top of that.

Patrol numbers are no longer online but I will get them at the end of the season.
 
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I'm not on top of the historical snowfall prior to about 2010 so this is really interesting. 1976-77o_O Before snowmaking to I guess. Was this just extreme dry or was heat (rain) a factor too?
 
Fall 1975 to beginning of Summer 1977 is when I lived near Tahoe City and Truckee and they did not have snowmaking. The problem was lack of snow, not heat or rain. There were times when Shirley Lake was the only area with good coverage and some of the best bump skiers in the world were skiing under the top of the chair. I forget how you got back to Gold Coast, but do remember there were days you could ski to the base. One of those seasons, probably 75-76 I got snowed on working outdoors most of the days in April, but Squaw closed early so I didn't get to ski any of it.

My roommates and I had passes to Squaw (what it was called then), I think mine was $200 even though I bought it late because I worked maintenance at another ski area (Granlibakken). They were supposed to allow full refunds, but since they barely opened by New Year's Day, everyone wanted one and new policy was to deduct price of one day ticket for each day they were open from your refund. So we skied.
 
On the subject of 1976-77:
1) It is silly to count 4 inches of pre-October when it snowed zero for the next 3 months. Pre-October should always be excluded and so should October if it doesn't snow significantly in the first half of November as otherwise that snow does not stick. And pre-1990 has no October snow and several pre-Octobers, which makes no sense.
2) What is forgotten is May 1977. It snowed 3+ feet in all California mountains May 7-9. I won't forget because I was a dumb beginner and skied Baldy May 14 with no sunscreen! :eusa-doh: Also those tables Mammoth Snowman found show a closing date of May 30. I believe Mammoth closed April 10 and reopened after that May storm.
 
I got my eye on the weather as we fly out to Oregon in less than two weeks. I'm seeing a forecast of 70 degrees for next week for Bend. Spring has certainly arrived. I assume this is an unusually intense warm up for this time of year? Mammoth is forecast to get to high 50s in the same timeframe.
 
Sbooker said:
I got my eye on the weather as we fly out to Oregon in less than two weeks. I'm seeing a forecast of 70 degrees for next week for Bend. Spring has certainly arrived. I assume this is an unusually intense warm up for this time of year? Mammoth is forecast to get to high 50s in the same timeframe.
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Spring hasn't arrived yet, but yes all long range forecasts show a big ridge developing next week and continuing into the following week across most of the west for warm and dry. Interestingly, the CPC 3-4 week outlooks show possible colder/troughing re-developing over the PNW. Obviously, that's a long way out and should be taken with a grain of... snow.
 
Oregon is getting hammered with snow this week before that ridge develops. For Bachelor in April you should root for that ridge. You want the Summit to be open and a corn cycle to develop.
 
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Tony Crocker said:
Oregon is getting hammered with snow this week before that ridge develops. Fo Bachelor in April you should root for that ridge. You want the Summit to be open and a corn cycle to develop.
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The fine weather will be best for other non ski activities too. I did imagine having to take a jacket though............
I've never skied in a T shirt before. This could be a first.
 
Bring a jacket and long-sleeved base and mid layers. It's very easy to lose some skin if you go down in Spring snow.
 
I’m staying at the Cliff up at Snowbird hoping for this storm to under deliver so we can make it out of the canyon sometime after 4 tomorrow and before 2 on Tuesday.

Too much snow here and at mammoth this season, never thought I’d say it but it’s just too much. LCC needs a 12-18 inch storm, not 40 that shuts the road and resorts down because of avalanche danger like last Friday.

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Bachelor is a very windy mountain, even more than Mammoth. Always be prepared with a range of clothing. Also, while the weather guys usually do an excellent job of forecasting temperatures and precipitation 3-5 days out, wind forecasts seem to be more difficult.

This past weekend Saturday at Mammoth was supposed to be nice and Sunday winds to close the upper mountain. While winds were strong and eventually started closing lifts 1-2pm, we had a great morning on the top and chairs 3 and 5. Meanwhile we heard most of the exposed lifts were closed all day Saturday.
 
Denver Metro (and realistically, the mtns too) has had: 5 straight months with below normal temps. With Jan-March being the coldest 3mo. start to a year since 1965... Although that 3 month stretch is still only the 16th coldest since 1872 when records started.

Eldora yesterday probably got to about ~42F with ~85% of the snow softening (but winter snow still on steepest and treed N faces), but only some slushy-ish type spring conditions on perhaps 50% by late afternoon.
 
It's still winter here at Mammoth. The day started at 9F, probably never got over 15F mid-mountain. Top lifts were closed all day for wind, fog and snow; mid lifts 3, 5 and 22 opened midday.
 
Had a full day country club day at snowbird yesterday. Pretty amazing, rode little cloud with literally no one on it besides me. Flight is this afternoon but road hasn’t been open since Sunday and they don’t expect it to open today.

Unfortunately I seem to have caught something, strep throat I think, so I’m not getting any powder today if they manage to open.
 
socal said:
Had a full day country club day at snowbird yesterday. Pretty amazing, rode little cloud with literally no one on it besides me.
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👍

socal said:
Unfortunately I seem to have caught something, strep throat I think, so I’m not getting any powder today if they manage to open.
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(n)


Both Awesome and Uck in the same post, hope you get over whatever it is soon.
 
Thanks. Got some meds, hopefully good to leave tomorrow IF the road opens. Both ski resorts closed.

no action shots but a few empty lifts on a powder day.

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So much for that ridge building in next week... looking like back to cooler/white/wet after a brief warmup Sat/Sun.

After being out of action for 12 days due to a severe back strain, I rode Brundage today and it was perfect winter conditions on the groomers all day long under mostly sunny skies. I didn't go off piste cuz my back is still sore, but those I talked to said north facing stuff still light and fluffy from recent snow.
I don't take many pictures because I typically ride alone... this is from the top of Brundage looking ENE into the Central Idaho Mtns. The foreground is out of bounds, although a few people still drop in here and either cut way over to the right toward Lakeview Chair, or down to to an access road that is frequented by snowmobiles and hoof it out.
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