PNW Update for 12/22-12/25

[Zeedashbo]

noaa was calling for serious ice accumulations at stevens/snoqualmie today. any word? i wanna see what two inches of ice looks like.

[The AD]

I looked at the Stevens cam a couple times today and didn't see anything like that. I'm sure they're not out of the woods on that one yet, though.

[BakerBoy]

North Shore Mountains = SHIT

Theyre gonna close any day now

A few mountains in the suburb of metropolis Vancouver, closing? Holy shit, I thought they'd be good year-round!

Seriously -- Grouse, Seymour, etc... They're fucking jib mountains. They suck more than Snoqualmie. There's only one thing the North Shore is good at, and nowadays, the competition is crazy...

[Stealth Radness]

From looking at the data on NWAC it seems like Stevens has been holding out pretty well. Temps haven't gotten much above freezing yet, I imagine due to the cold air from Eastern Washington trapped in the pass. This cold air can't hold out for long, though. I think Thursday and Friday still hold some promise if today doesn't do too much damage and freezing levels stay at the low end of what the forecast calls for.

Baker is in the worst shape. Temps have been in the 40s and their snowpack is getting hit hard.

It has been coldish up at Stevens area, it's funny that that might be the bigger long term problem. A tour on Mon on 5 mi E of the pass brought a fair number of good turns, but they were turns on baseless sugar. When I clicked out of my binding at 5200', I stepped through the 3' of snow on the ground and stomped the dirt underneath. If we don't get a good soaking, this could spell real trouble for the next few months. Looks like the cold air is on the way out and the soaking should commence.

[The AD]

If we don't get a good soaking, this could spell real trouble for the next few months. Looks like the cold air is on the way out and the soaking should commence.

Yeah, I think so!

Things are looking very grim for the weekend and early next week (i.e., Stevens should get the soaking it needs!), but long term projections suggest things will improve around the middle of next week. Let's just hope that when the freezing levels go down the precip continues.

Keep the faith, folks! This is just the tail end of the jinx of 2005. 2006 is a fresh start and it's going to be epic, right?

edit: the Stevens Pass highway cam actually looks good right now!

[Squirrel99]

Keep the faith, folks! This is just the tail end of the jinx of 2005. 2006 is a fresh start and it's going to be epic, right?

I agree- Bring on 2006!

[BakerBoy]

My faith is wavering.

[Buster Highmen]

However, the break in the weather should be very brief, as in
hours, with extended forecast models indicated a very stormy end
to the current year as several increasingly strong weather
disturbances track over the region in a gradually strengthening
and slowly cooler west to southwest upper flow. The first
disturbance should spread increasing moderate rain or snow to the
region mid-late Monday, preceded by slightly rising freezing
levels and followed by cooler more showery weather late Monday
night, with a much stronger weather system poised to move over
the area mid-late Tuesday into early Wednesday and a final
moderate though slightly splitting disturbance expected mid-late
Wednesday into early Thursday. While a brief but significant rise
in freezing levels is likely ahead of the first strong
disturbance mid-day Tuesday, significant cooling is expected with
and behind the disturbance when moderate to heavy snow showers
are likely, and only very limited warming is likely with the
second disturbance on Wednesday when precipitation should remain
as snow in most mountain locations.

[Buster Highmen]

And I shall be in lurk mode up at Crustal.

[Squirrel99]

Come'on cold weather....
So far, Xtal's the only one holding court in WA- Snoq/Alp & Stevens seem to be on the 'break even' streak - more moisture but base depths seem steady and temps are right at the freezing mark.

If anyone wants some wet glop, head to Xtal tomorrow:

MM/DD Hour Temp 24 Hr Total
Snow
Elevation 6300'
------------------------------
12 22 1400 30 0 138
12 22 1500 30 1 138
12 22 1600 29 2 52
12 22 1700 29 4 250
12 22 1800 28 8 58
12 22 1900 28 8 59

[The AD]

I've noticed Crystal hasn't even been running the GV chair the last few days. Maybe they'll fire it up tomorrow for some freshies?

I'm making a game day decision tomorrow a.m. whether I go at all, but if I do it will probably be Stevens since I can get $12 off with my Whistler Edge card.

[wizard604]

Skipped the last couple days cuz of all the rain, but today was the day. Freezing levels dropped to the bottom of Emerald/Red chairs and it was dumping big time. I don't know what the total accumulation was, but I was coated in 1" of snow every time I rode the chair back up. I'd guess 15+cm from today alone.

The upper part of the mountain (Harmony & Peak chairs) never did open. Avy control and hi winds. There should be lots of fresh pow up there for tomorrow.

The snow today was very wet & heavy. But it was snow not rain, so I ain't complaining. If it continues like this overnite, it should easily erase whatever was lost from the rains of the last 2 days. I'm just hoping that the freezing levels continue to stay at least at mid mtn till we can ride out this warm front.

[The AD]

Daily photo from the W/B website looks good:


Catskinner chair, perhaps?

[wizard604]

Yep.... Catskinner... 16cm is the official dumpage for this afternoon. It was still snowing heavily when I left today. I wouldnt be surprised to see another 16+cm overnite.