PNW gets some

schubwa

schubwa

New member
Looks like we're getting lucky for this weekend, pretty amazing as I thought for sure we'd be off to a slow start. Going hiking tomorrow and hope to bring you an eye witness report. According to the below report, they'll fire up the snow guns tonight. We don't have much of a snowmaking system with only Thunderbird run off Pine Martin having coverage. Good thing we have dependable natural snow!

http://www.mtbachelor.com/winter/services/snow_report

and:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... it=0&lg=en

Looks like BC is feeling the brunt of the storm cycle. Hoping Whistler Blackcomb gets some base for the Winter Olympics are a comin'.
 
If Tony disapproves, I disagree with him for two reasons:

1) That's what has fallen from the sky as snow since the Equinox.

2) It was ridden by snowriders (I have two days) and it has accumulated higher on the mountain to provide a base for this season. If you can't report season-to-date until opening day, how would you account for a settled natural snow base? :snowball fight:
 
I agree... if the snow didn't melt away, then it should be considered part of the season's snowfall.

For all I know, I may be twisting Tony's words slightly. :troll:
 
jamesdeluxe":1w9ua7ro said:
I agree... if the snow didn't melt away, then it should be considered part of the season's snowfall.
Click to expand...

Snow always melts away, so that's why I don't know where you start counting, if you didn't from the start. I do recall Tony making a stand on this subject, I just thought I'd draw first blood as he's sure to pipe in... :-)
 
Nice Forecast! Hope we see some pics. AS far as snowfall I am cool with the equinox rule (sept 21 till June 21) the rest of the snow falling in between is generally no biggie. Most resorts report only while in operation correct?
 
if the snow didn't melt away, then it should be considered part of the season's snowfall.
Click to expand...
That's the common sense definition but subjective. That means that it contributed at least some to what we ski on once the lifts open.

I have chosen to draw the line at November 1, with few exceptions. If it snows enough earlier to advance an opening date, then I will count it. Bachelor's current situation is somewhat of a gray area. The resort won't advance its opening date no matter how much snow there is. I'm not sure how much of a base was there on 10/31 before the latest round of storms began. At Mammoth the mid-October snow melted out completely at the official measuring site. But the area did open 3 days from that storm, and there's no question that the upper mountain coverage from it is still there and will be the only reason you'll be able to ski up top for at least the next couple of weeks.

The November 1 date, besides being convenient in comparing areas, does rough justice most of the time. Earlier snow tends to melt off completely (see common sense definition); later snow, at least some of it, usually stays on the ground. I'm always open to adjusting for the exceptions. At a minimum that means a clear cut contribution to what we ski on once the lifts open.

Most resorts report only while in operation correct?
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That was typically true historically, and still so on the back end of the season. Once the resort is closed they don't care and in many cases no one may be around to measure. On the front end it's different. Lots of places put season-to-date numbers online, and those who don't measure before Thanskgiving or first week of December won't look as good. So I see a clear trend of more areas going back to at least November 1 over the past decade. In season I sometimes can't tell whether the webpage totals started before November, but at the end of the season I get monthly totals to clarify and decide then whether the October numbers are material to the season.
 
schubwa":31v79g0s said:
According to the below report, they'll fire up the snow guns tonight.
Click to expand...

Just got confirmation that's a go. 9" so far from this storm.
 
Mid for Jackson Hole is 8,250, and that site has data back to 1971. That's what I collect at the end of the year. The upper is somewhere just above the new Bridger gondola, and I would agree it's unrepresentative. They can publish whatever new stuff they want as long as I have access to the historically consistent mid-mountain data. So I'm not happy to see ChrisC's reference, which is new formatting vs. prior years with only one snow quote, almost certainly the upper one. I'll be calling to complain. Sometimes areas are responsive, as when Snowbasin tried to mix in snowmaking with natural snow totals online. I got them to reverse that decision.
 
PNW got a lot. Crystal MT with a limited opening on Wednesday and then Baker on Thursday. Hopefully some of this finds its way to Utah eventually.
 
Tony Crocker":gh9gx0qz said:
Mid for Jackson Hole is 8,250, and that site has data back to 1971. That's what I collect at the end of the year. The upper is somewhere just above the new Bridger gondola, and I would agree it's unrepresentative. They can publish whatever new stuff they want as long as I have access to the historically consistent mid-mountain data. So I'm not happy to see ChrisC's reference, which is new formatting vs. prior years with only one snow quote, almost certainly the upper one. I'll be calling to complain. Sometimes areas are responsive, as when Snowbasin tried to mix in snowmaking with natural snow totals online. I got them to reverse that decision.
Click to expand...
Did you already call to complain? When I click the link, it contains both summit and mid mountain measurements.
 
Yes the JH site has mid info today, and and no I didn't call them. The disparity is much more than usual. Targhee reports 50 inches season-to-date.

Back on topic, Whistler is expected to open this weekend.
 
Considering the snow depth is just listed at 2 inches, I think it is rather disingenuous to list snow to date as part of their season totals. It's marketing I guess.
 
Considering the snow depth is just listed at 2 inches, I think it is rather disingenuous to list snow to date as part of their season totals. It's marketing I guess.
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If the 24 inches came in October, it would not be surprising for only 2 inches of it to be left now. That's why I usually exclude October snow.
 
The what "counts" discusson is a good one. At Mt. B I start counting based on when people start demanding regular snow report updates, which I have decided is reasonably Oct 1. This year we had 8" in early Oct that people came up and skied on. Most of it melted, but not all of it up high.

I do not count "summer snow" that still does fall on occasion in late Aug or Sept. Oct is reasonably our first month with winter weather at our location. There is surely not one right answer for all places. Consistency seems more important, imho.
 
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