Spring-like Became More Spring Like

You have to try pretty hard to get a photo without one patroller or dog facing the camera. Still, awesome people with awesome dogs.

What a fun day of skiing it was. Imagine starting the day arriving at the top of Summit to find 5 patrollers and their dogs trying to get lined up for a photo. Who could turn down a photo op like that?

Conditions were a bit variable in Sun Bowl, but there were smooth lines to be found.

We did 5 quick laps on Summit to warm up, anxious to get to Sherwood. At 10 we took a quick hike over the Upper Saddle to CBs and Sun Bowl. Things are a bit burnt out right at the ridge, but we found some reasonably smooth lines as we worked our way to Sherwood. Once we were there, it was just lap after lap on Sherwood Face until 1 pm, when work called. Otherwise, I might have stayed on that run until nearly 4 pm.

Temperatures today topped out at almost 50°, so I would assume that more of the mountain did thaw today. As I was leaving, I noted the typical spring slushfest as you got near the breezeway. Similar temps are expected through next week, with only a slight cool down on Sunday. Fortunately the forecast has, for now, backed off on the forecast for temperatures in the mid to upper 50’s next week. We don’t need that much softening!

There’s still no actual sign of change in the forecast yet. The forecast for crowds this weekend is a tossup? Have the masses given up on skiing yet? Not me!

Saturday Morning Update

The standard iPhone weather app surprised me this morning by showing rain for the 29th and snow for March 1st. So I checked some models and sure enough, the 06z run of the GFS does indeed show a possible weather event next weekend. That same storm does not show on the 00z run. One model run does not really make an accurate forecast! But it’s a hint of where the Apple app is picking up data. Just based on this one run, it’s a zonal flow storm that would come in warm and turn colder, which is exactly what we need.

I’m adding this here only for the people that will show me their phone today and say “Look, there is snow next weekend”. It’s worth watching, especially with a number of people scheduling weddings on the 29th (not just over there).