Mayuary... what the heck is going on?



Daniel Swain of Weather West said it best when he asked "What the heck is going on?" Although late season storms are fairly common in late May and early June in the Sierra's and the Carson Range the duration and intensity of our current storm cycle is quite unusual. If you jumped the gun and planted anything outdoors in the Truckee Meadows you know what I mean. Late tonight the NWS is calling for the snow level to reach down to possibly 5000 feet. Oh lord. I'm kinda done with the cold and wind. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I still believe in the Doug Coombs quote "There is no such thing as too much snow, but, jeez, there does seem to be too much cold and wind and clouds for May, at least to my liking. I kinda was hoping for some spring skiing... y'know, sun and blue skies and soft consistent snow till noon and all that. Not gunna happen, not for while anyway.

Remember when we would get blue skies with storms wedged in between for a day or two instead of weeks of cloudy weather? Well, I do. That was one of the great things about living in the Sierra. Big storms sandwiched by Blue Skies... and enough snow to drool over for sure. In any event, the forecast looks quite austere if you are after some early summer spring skiing anywhere. The forecast looks to be most cloudy with showers each successive day as an unusually strong for this time of year jet stream continues to push across the Pacific Ocean. Couple this with the numerous Lows spinning down from Alaska and you've got a storm conveyer belt with one storm lining up after another. Most forecasters are now conceding that Memorial Weekend will be a grey shit show for most outdoor events (good thing I'll be in Mammoth celebrating my son's 18th birthday, we may be in the hot springs more than on our skis...). Some forecasters are extending the Crap Show through the end of the month. There is some light at the end of the tunnel (literally) as June looks to warm up quickly to more heat than we really want. From the freezer into the fire... yep, thats Nevada folks! Below is the 10 day forecast for precipitation... as you can see we are in the bullseye.

Sven


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Season Winds Down with a Bang & a Whimper...

Image
Lots of BBQ's, beer wagons and costumed patrons led to a great last day of the season at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. Many closing days have been less than extraordinary with frozen crust, snow or high winds. Today was the exeption. Although there was some wind at the top it didn't amount to much and the snow softened quickly with temps in the 50's. The Chutes almost didn't open. Understaffed, the lift department just didn't have enough liftees... in stepped Mikyla (pictured below) a ski patrol rookie who volunteered to run The Chuter Unload... thanks to Patrol for making The Chutes happen the last day. They were absolutely sublime with all gates East of El Cap open. One could also downhill traverse over to El Cap which was the best I've seen it sans pow in many years. Pic is of Naia Selby ripping down it like it was a groomer. I can say with confidence The Chutes were absolutely stunning today and so forgiving that even I felt pretty good dancing with gravity. Groomer
Read more

The Rose Legion of Honor (Part 1)

Image
There are those that do their job and then there are those who rise above their position description and become an exceptional employee and host to the area. Come along and meet some of the exceptional staff who have proven themselves once more as those that go above and beyond and make Mt. Rose Ski Area a special place. Some of these folks are up front who you see all the time while others are in the background working to make things better behind the scenes every day and night. Lets start with Ted... he has been grooming for years and his experience and stoke to provide perfect cord for the public makes him our number one choice from the grooming department Next up is Darja from the Food and Beverage Department. Darja is one of the most positive and wonderful people one could ever meet in the lodge. If you haven't met her yet, this last weekend is the time. Make it your mission. She can probably be found cashiering. She is seen here with our very own 98 year old Raymond Josep
Read more

The Chutes... 45 days on

Image
On Saturday a kid in the Skytavern Junior Ski Program took the Oblivion Express into a tree on the Cut Throat run in the The Chutes at the Mt. Rose Ski Area. He ended up in the ICU but is expected to fully recover.  The results could have been much worse.  Most of us are tired of seeing patrol rescues, ambulances and Careflight rides resulting from skiing or boarding and then losing control in The Chutes the last five weeks. This post addresses where we currently are in The Chutes in an effort to minimize future accidents and point out that you are putting more than yourself at risk when you ski beyond our ability.  Occasionally I get asked "Why are The Chutes still closed?" or, less occasionally, "Why are The Chutes still open?". My stock answer is something about snow safety, patroller safety, the time it takes to open complex terrain or the neglected skill of skiing within one's ability etc. And I only hear the question a 10,000th of the times patrol hears it
Read more