STORM SKIING TODAY, TRACE TO AN INCH OF SNOW EARLY THIS MORNING
MID MOUNTAIN BASE DEPTH 33"
Yesterday's picturesque Christmas day with fresh snow on the ground and sun in the sky made for some great skiing. That 4-5" helped a lot in places, but in general, we need a series of good dumps to really heal the damage that has been done by all of the high winds. Things are still thin at the top of Challenger, and the Tram, but in general the upper mountain skiing has been great for December, the traverse to the skiing has been the sketchy part as usual. The increased skier traffic along with the new snow has created larger and more numerous moguls, but thankfully the crowds are really not that bad!
WIND AND TEMPS: It's gonna be colder, windier, and cloudier compared to yesterday, with temps ranging from 10°F at the summit, to 27°F at the base, with mid-mountain temps in the teens. Winds are expected out of the Southwest, gusting over 50mph at the summit, and 25mph at mid mountain.
More snow is rolling in, and winds have already begun to howl this morning. This storm is expected to roll all the way through this weekend, with Southwest winds prevailing today and tomorrow. I would expect to be most intense day of the storm, with an unexpectedly large dump being provided overnight at least once this weekend. Keep an eye out for when the wind shifts from SW to NW, as that is often when we get the lingering cold weather storms that make for consistent snowfall and great skiing.
HOWS THE SKIING?
For the average skiier, there are very few places to worry about coverage anymore out there; however, The NorthSide mid to lower mountain in general still needs some snow. The cat crew over there is sure to continue moving snow around to improve their groomers like they always do, but another 6" to a foot of base would work wonders on that side of the mountain. Southern Comfort is in the same boat.
As always, remember to stay safe, and have fun out there!
