It’s an equation that is easy to understand:
45° Sunday + 28° Monday + Weekend Skier Traffic = Firm Hardpack Conditions
After a nice weekend of near spring-like conditions, the weather got back to seasonal norms today. The chill is on again. Fortunately the hardpack surfaces were groomed just about perfect today and traffic was quite light. Which number do you think was the greatest today at Alpine Meadows?
- A) The temperature in degrees Fahrenheit
- B) The number of employees at Alpine Meadows
- C) The skier count for the day
From what I saw before noon today, I would put my money on B. As one couple put it as they walked out of the breezeway, saying “It’s like a private resort today”.
Andy Wertheim concurred about conditions in his short report today:
After a number of days of skiing, along with the extra skiers on the mountain over the weekend, conditions are changing. Moguls are larger and more firm. Groomed areas are firming up but still nice early in the morning. There is no ice on the slopes because the day time temperatures have remained relatively cool and the sun in low in the sky. Low early season conditions persist with plenty of tree tops, rocks, and bushes poking through the snow. – Andy Wertheim
The next couple of days will bring a chance of light snow, a better chance of cold temperatures and wind. By Thursday, the AR system on everyones’ minds moves in. The GFS is still looking good for moisture. The key difference from our last post is that the timing moves up from a Friday-Saturday event to a Thursday-Friday event. The latest runs if the GFS are also bringing the jet stream a little farther south than previously. That’s good news as it brings North Tahoe closer to the colder air on the north side of the jet. Theoretically that could keep snow levels from climbing too high. Nobody is really ready to place any sure bets on that just yet. BA’s morning report was a bit depressing to read as it pushed levels as high as 9000 feet. Other forecasters are seeing levels closer to 7000 feet. This storm could be somewhat of a washout for the weekend. More storms next week threaten to bring snow levels o near sea level in Northern California…
