Day 90 of the Alpine Meadows ski season and the 100th consecutive day of my ski season has come and gone. Yawn. I mean, all skiing is good, but some days are far better than others. Yesterday was super fun, today was not quite as fun. I am thankful that I was there rather than some of the other alternatives. Yet the repetitive weak storm scenario we keep seeing this season is less than ideal.
Yesterday we had two seasons in one day, with excellent winter buff off Summit in the morning, followed by surprisingly good almost corn conditions at Sherwood in the afternoon. It was the kind of day that made everyone in my posse happy, except for those that missed it. As a bonus, on the other end of the shiny boxes, Silverado opened for only the second time of the season. Yesterday was all smiles. at least until you looked at the forecast for today.
Today we started the day with some moments of sun and a whole lot of wind. Winds in the 50-60 mph range kept Scott and Lakeview on wind hold in the morning hours. They also sent cloud banks ripping across the sky, causing changes to the available light in an instant. One minute you could be enjoying a nice off piste bump line, then seconds later it was like someone turned off the lights. I am not sure whether it’s my goggles or my pupils that were not adapting to those changes quickly enough.
On a positive note, there was big right side up temperature gradient today. As the lifts spun up this morning it was 28° at the top of Summit and a balmy 40° at the base area. That resulted in soft snow top to bottom right away this morning.
All of that goodness of the morning was not long lasting. With both Scott and Lakeview on a wind hold, and some minimalistic grooming still happening, it could feel just a bit crowded heading back to the base area. We headed to Sherwood and found the conditions were similar. The Sherwood Run was too busy for my comfort level, I took to Robin Hood and the once groomed “No Name” run that follows Ashlock Gully (we’ve been calling it the multi-purpose “Maid Robin Tucks”). It was skiable this morning, but a groomed version would have been super helpful to spread people out.
I see that Lakeview and Scott did eventually open. By then the visibility would have made it somewhat less attractive.
As the lunch hour loomed, the skies got darker and the light got flatter, making off piste bumps more of a challenge. The early flakes of snow were also the wet kind that sticks to your goggles. Eventually the temperatures went down a bit, and by the end of the day, about one inch of new snow was recorded at the base area. The last run of the NAM model pumped up the snowfall possibilities through the evening hours. It’s possible that there could be enough new snow up top tomorrow to add some fun. That said, tomorrow also looks like a day where east winds could keep Summit off the schedule for at least the morning hours.
Tomorrow is yet another transition day before the spring weather really gets going for the next 10 days. Highs over the weekend will likely reach the 50’s at the base of Alpine Meadows. Hopefully we see enough of an overnight freeze of the snow surface to encourage corn development rather than mank and mashed potato development. If I had to give a rating for yesterday, Sherwood was already at 🌽🌽. Because of that, I’ve been rooting for less snowfall today to not impede that development.
Honestly, I have family in town the next few days that will really appreciate the spring weather and comfortable skiing. Truth be told, that logic applies to most of this weeks visitors. They want a powder day, but they are far better equipped to handle some nice spring days ahead.
In the longer range of forecasting, the models are still seeing a significant flip in the weather around the first of March. Right now the only real sign of that is most of the models calling for a flip to a negative PNA, which we have not seen yet this season with the exception of a day here and there. The computer models are probably smarter than me, but in looking at some of the teleconnections that affect our weather, like the MJO, there is nothing going on. Maybe the robots are just rooting for a March Miracle?
I am looking forward to 10 days of spring weather and the consistency it may bring to ski conditions. See you out there.
I’m guessing you are also an Outer Banks fan?
Yes I am…a hybrid of Bay Watch and Scooby Doo!
Not having Terry’s, Boomerang, Bobbys and some of the other alternatives not groomed the last few days does force people into the uncomfortable pinch points on the mountain. Any ideas why?