Anyone around Summit County, Co?

[txsnowbetty]

Hi, I know Summit County had a great December, but I have noticed the temps going up a bit, so I was just wondering if the powder/packed powder conditions the resorts are reporting was correct or if it was getting crusty/icy? Any info appreciated to help make last minute decision. :wink:

 

[Tony Crocker]

This early season ranks in the top 10% for snow for the I-70 corridor, and that includes 1-2 feet new in the past week. It's hard to imagine these areas have ever been much better during Christmas. Melt-freeze cycles at this time of year are rare due to high altitude and low sun. Any hardpack is more likely due to the huge skier traffic, but again there has been some new snow to refresh the surface.

 

[txsnowbetty]

Right, I've been watching the weather and I am in Summit county every year at this time...not last year but the New Years before conditions were getting kind of icy around New Years because of the sun...so we took off to Wolf Creek which is usually EPIC...but sadly this year is not its usual Powder Haven. 2 years prior to that we saw temps of 40 at New Years with lower slope with lots of green peaking through. I know the base is great for this time of year...but was just kind of looking for a local opinion of what is really going on with the temps as well as wind blowing snow...the weather websites are quite different (for instance accuweather reports 36 degrees currently and noaa.org reports 30) and often the resort websites skirt the issue.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Unfortunately noaa, weather channel. etc. report from towns, not mountains that can be 2000+ feet higher.

The other key variable is exposure. If it faces north it's not getting any sun at this time of year, and the only way you get ice if it rains and freezes, a true rarity in Colorado. You can get some hardpack and occasionally frozen granular with heavy traffic and high water content or man-made snow.

If it faces south you want the temperature to stay below about 20F. East and west exposures hold up fairly well at this time of year.

I've been observing this process at Mammoth, which is similar in altitude and snowfall range to Vail, for 28 years and it's rare to see any kind of deteriorating snow surface in December/January. If it's covered, it should be fine.