Lack of snow in Utah - Page 2

A lot could happen between now and Christmas...late Jan/Feb always a better bet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by altabrig 

It will come.  Maybe not 700+,  but 500+ up LCC is a gaurantee.   It is a 10 hour drive for me to the SLC,  not a big deal.   Early January is a long ways away for N.PAC weather systems and the Jet stream.

Yes probably.  But do a little research on the winter of 1976/1977.  Still called the year of the great western snow drought.  I saw Snowbird in late February that season with bare spots all over the place.  Did get 4+ feet a couple days later however. 
 

...but a bad year at Snowbird or Alta would still be an average year or better for most places in Colorado.

Afternoon update looking a little better for Northern Utah:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?prod=XXXAFDSLC&wfo=SLC

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Yes, in that year he referred to 76/77, Alta received 280 inches. 

Go to

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ut0072

and click on Monthly Snowfall Listings > Monthly Total near the bottom.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstreu1026 

...but a bad year at Snowbird or Alta would still be an average year or better for most places in Colorado.

 

The average snowfall for Copper Mountain is only 282 inches.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstreu1026 

The average snowfall for Copper Mountain is only 282 inches.

 

I know, only 24 feet of snow!!!  They should shut it down.

I guess it is good that Colorado is now talked about as being relatively flat - means we don't need as much snow .  

Well, there is always Christmas tree cutting...you know it is bad when the Front Range foothills get a foot of fresh and the resorts get 2-3".

Quote:

Originally Posted by NayBreak 

I know, only 24 feet of snow!!!  They should shut it down.

 

I guess it is good that Colorado is now talked about as being relatively flat - means we don't need as much snow .  

 

Well, there is always Christmas tree cutting...you know it is bad when the Front Range foothills get a foot of fresh and the resorts get 2-3".

 

 

 

I think you totally missed the point.  The average snowfall for Copper Mountain is 282 inches.  The worst year in the last 40 in Little Cottonwood Canyon had Alta at only 280 inches.  That's not to say skiing at Copper is bad but even if they are down 20% Alta and Snowbird get far more snow that most Colorado resorts average so there really is no need to worry about this dry stretch if you have a trip planned to Utah.

Have a trip planned for Dec 27 for about 6 days.  At the current weather patterns looks like I will be cancelling my annual Christmas ski trip.  We have more snow here in Arizona and may have to make a trek over to Wolfcreek Colorado instead. 

Hoping for a dump as the last day to get my money back is December 25.  Praying for snow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstreu1026 

I think you totally missed the point.  The average snowfall for Copper Mountain is 282 inches.  The worst year in the last 40 in Little Cottonwood Canyon had Alta at only 280 inches.  That's not to say skiing at Copper is bad but even if they are down 20% Alta and Snowbird get far more snow that most Colorado resorts average so there really is no need to worry about this dry stretch if you have a trip planned to Utah.

 

I didn't miss it - was just having a little bit of fun with all the panic as well as the oft stated differences between Colorado and Utah.

Although there is a little notion that not all terrain is created equal, and some terrain needs more snow to ski 'average' (or at all) than others.  In other words, Alta may not be 'Alta' at 280" whereas Copper is probably pretty much 'Copper' at that same level - this being the whole "Colorado is high, cold, and relatively flat (broad glacial vs. 'apline' mountains) thing.  I suspect we'd lose an awful lot of total acreage if snow levels dropped permanently by 50%.

I wouldn't be worried about it either, unless I had money on the line in December.  Then I'd be hoping I'd either bought the trip insurance or was hitting resorts with a ton of snowmaking and grooming capability and I was happy with repetitive loops of 1,200 feet of vert on groomer zoomers, which luckily, I am .

We got a little bit of snow in Utah.  She must not have really been a virgin.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnowbirdDevotee 

Yes, in that year he referred to 76/77, Alta received 280 inches. 

Go to

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ut0072

and click on Monthly Snowfall Listings > Monthly Total near the bottom.
 

 

The total is a bit deceiving.  Most of the season's snow that year came late.  Almost nothing until late February.  Snowbird had less than 10 percent of the terrain open going into the President's holiday. 

I'll be in the Park City area right after Christmas....Just wondering what kind of car I should rent.  Is frontwheel drive ok, or should I go with 4x4?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stranger 

She must not have really been a virgin.  

^^^^Often true.  Maybe we can port that Virgin Diaries show into a snow dance 

Long range computer model forecasts are in unusual agreement that we are going to stay in this split flow pattern with weak cutoff lows dropping far southwest and the northern stream riding over us and dropping into the eastern trough.  <sigh>

Mary Jane is opening on Friday, which seems surprising since it has no snowmaking and I think they only got a couple or three inches today, although it has been cold and not windy for awhile.  Limited terrain opening, but the six pack will be running to the top and Jane Trail will be open.  To rock ski or not to rock ski...that is the question...

Generally you don't need a 4x4 for PC.  You will travel by interstate to PC.  However, when there is a big storm the road can get treacherous and maybe? it even closes. But the odds are very much in your favor for a regular vehicle, probably 90-95% of the time.  While for the Cottonwood Canyon resorts I would say that's about 50-60% of the time. (on a 4 day trip)

I'm scheduled for SLC Jan 6th, just hoping that everything will be open.  Likely so that a couple good storms will come in by then.   A few years ago in mid-December there was a 30" base, i was ready to cancel the day before i was leaving, and a big storm came in out of nowhere and made the skiing great!
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammy87 

I'll be in the Park City area right after Christmas....Just wondering what kind of car I should rent.  Is frontwheel drive ok, or should I go with 4x4?

I will be in PC on January 6. Hope that Jupiter and McConkey´s are open and ready by then. 

At least we can go ice fishing finally. :) Any bears in town want to go catch some perch let me know.

Highly unlikely.  With only 27 inches to date that's a lot of catching up to do, particularly when average snowfall is no more than 60% of the Cottonwoods.  Plan on doing a lot of commuting to the other side of the Wasatch unless you want to ski mostly manmade groomers.  

Not likely everything, but at least there's a natural base in the Cottonwoods and some off trail skiing to be had already.  Currently Alta is half open and Snowbird 1/4.  My best guess for Jan. 6 would be 60% of Snowbird and 80% of Alta.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Crocker 

 

Highly unlikely.  With only 27 inches to date that's a lot of catching up to do, particularly when average snowfall is no more than 60% of the Cottonwoods.  Plan on doing a lot of commuting to the other side of the Wasatch unless you want to ski mostly manmade groomers.  

 

Not likely everything, but at least there's a natural base in the Cottonwoods and some off trail skiing to be had already.  Currently Alta is half open and Snowbird 1/4.  My best guess for Jan. 6 would be 60% of Snowbird and 80% of Alta.

Tony, when do most resorts start counting season totals?  PCMR seems to be counting from opening day (Nov 19) where as Alta starts October 31 (several weeks before opening).  I think if compared apples to apples, PCMR would be closer to the 50+ inches being reported by Deer Valley and the Canyons.  Obviously still off to a slow start, but hopefully only a big storm or two away from opening significantly more terrain.

A valid question and I usually make an effort to check ski area sites starting November 1 so I will know.  I was out of the country the entire month of November this year so I don't know in many cases.  In recent years most areas that post those totals try to start as early as possible to make them look better.  I try to exclude October snow unless it is enough to affect opening day/conditions.  I agree the Park City number looks low relative to the other Utah places.  The most important stat in early season is percent of terrain open.  I have these figures for about a decade many places and over 20 years for Front Range Colorado.  The percent open stats are exceptionally low this December, half or less terrain than normal for a very large number of areas.  In mid-December Vail and Steamboat are typically 80% open and other Front Range areas are 40-70% open.  This year the range is from 33% at Steamboat down to 9% at A-Basin.

Details here: http://bestsnow.net/seas12.htm , updated at least twice a month.  

Whoever discovered "global warming" should put it back where he found it. Dumbest invention ever I say

And enjoy what you get coz it could be a lot worse!

Wow, now a feel like a cry baby for complaining. Great picture!

Faith, my friend, faith! It will come...

Now is raining!!!! Yikes!!!!

Left Utah last night after Christmas week. Skied the Canyons and PCMR. Although the coverage around the mountains weren't the best the areas of snowmaking were just fine. PCMR did a bang-up job of making the nighttime runs (Payday, Three Kings) feel like a normal season. The Canyons and PCMR were great for the most part. Off trail on the Canyons got dicey, I caught the tip of a tree stump sticking up and flew like superman. Night before last it rained and yesterday was considerably worse then any other day the week before. The snow was slushy all around and the temps were warm so there was nothing the resorts could do about it. Leaving the airport last night I really felt sorry for those flying in for vacation. I felt we saw the best conditions for at least a week to come.  Sad conditions for the resorts. The crowds were way down compared to what they are used to seeing. For those with their lively-hood centered around the ski business this part of the season probably hurt a little. Hopefully it gets better soon. We wanted to go to Snowbird but decided to leave my favorite place until next time. Don't want to see her struggling....