Current Conditions:
Yesterday, we had very warm temperatures with ridge top temperatures above 30 degrees and 8,000? temperatures into the mid 40?s. Ridge top temperatures have dropped six degrees from yesterday morning as colder air slowly creeps in from the east. Ridge top temperatures are 25 degrees with a 5-10 mph wind from the northwest.
Snow surface are curiously similar to yesterday and the day before that and before that, and so on. And they will be curiously similar tomorrow and they day after that and, well, OK, you get the idea. Most of the south facing slopes have melted out to bare ground. East and west facing slopes are crusted. Tree line and above are wind blasted. North facing, wind and sun-sheltered slopes are the only bright spot. You can still find a few scraps of soft, recrystallized snow that feels like powder if you don?t know any better but slopes that were supportable a few days ago are now pig wallows where you sink to your waist in loose, faceted snow. Plus, you have to be VERY creative and adventurous to find any slopes that are not completely tracked out. If any of this sounds good to you, then you are a fully certified member of the Optimist Club.
Mountain Weather:
Temperatures will continue to cool today with ridge top temperatures sinking down to the mid 20? and 8,000? temperatures in the mid 30?s. Ridge top winds will remain light from the northwest. Saturday, ridge top temperature will be in the lower 20?s.
For the extended forecast, we have a weak disturbance going by to the east of us this weekend, which may give us a cloud or two, but not much more. Then it still looks like a big blast of cold air out of central Canada for next Wednesday, which may actually give us some snow, but probably not much of it.