PNW Conditions

It's been snowing on and off the past several days... It's pretty good everywhere.  Not super deep, but effortless flotation fun stuff... no face shots, which is quite alright by me because taking a load in the face just isn't my thing.

I think we are running slightly below average in terms of snowpack depth.  It feels like midseason... everything is pretty well filled in.

Looks good on into next week...

....Otherwise snow and locally heavy snow in the mountains will be possible. The
mountains could easily see 48 inches...

It looks like 2 disturbances bringing similar QPF

Lots of snow across the Cascades... It hasn't stopped snowing at the Crest since Thursday (Baker, Stevens, Snoqual/Alpental).  It's going to be a good week... 2nd of 3 disturbances comes Tuesday through Wednesday... with another potential blast coming for next weekend.

Wire to wire at the Ridge today... 10 inches of new snow this week... more to come.  it finally feels like mid-season over here in the desert.

Glad you are getting some big, cold storms.  Now is a good time to be planning a trip to the PNW and coastal BC.  Whistler just got 23 inches in the last 12 hours, with more on the way!

JTG4eva! wrote

Now is a good time to be planning a trip to the PNW and coastal BC.  Whistler just got 23 inches in the last 12 hours, with more on the way!

Yup.  With this morning's refined forecast results we're starting to party like it was 1999.  We had accumulating snow 6 out 7 days last week... looks to be about the same this week.  

Wow.  What a difference since my last post here... it's been like April the past few days... lost of Sun... decent corn cycle up high, before that it rained quite a bit.  We're supposed to be back to normalcy within a day or two...

It will be interesting to see what the % of normal looks like on 2/15



Some snaps from today's trek over to Leavenworth

It was warm in the valley


Snow is still pretty deep up high... looking West at Wedge Mtn


Bluebird at the Pinnacles

I know many don't agree with me , but that looks like nirvana...Good corn cycle, good hiking ,good biking and you are not freezing your ass off..enjoy

JasonWx wrote

I know many don't agree with me , but that looks like nirvana...Good corn cycle, good hiking ,good biking and you are not freezing your ass off..enjoy

Good climbing too.... along with the Pinnacles just outside of town, we also have a good sized climbing gym down by the river (speaking of river sports...lots of good kayaking, both flat at whitewater).  

Did I mention I don't pay any state income tax and my electricity only costs 2.6 cents/KW.

It's a great spot for retirement.

It was a good January

The old lady and I chased a Storm down to Timberline.  First time riding here in the Winter... the snow is pretty dry, but the terrain is fairly one dimensional.  Out yesterday and today... Headed home now... they're calling for 12 at  Mission and up to 36 at the crest tonight and tomorrow.  After 2 weeks of spring early in the Month, it's looking like we'll make a soft finish to February.

Remarkably uncrowded for a Powday

It's good over here, and it looks like it could get better.  More weather coming for this weekend.

Very interesting weather today at the mountain.  It snowed a few inches with the sun breaking out most of the time... more clouds than sun, but enough sun to brighten the surface.  Typically this time of year, the sun cooks the snow quickly in to mashed potatoes ,but not today... it's frigid for late February in the PNW

Snow Depth for Mid Feb... not nearly as much melt as I anticipated.


Pownight at MtHood Ski Bowl

nepa wrote

Love this photo!  

  Heading to Crystal first week of March....was wondering if staying at a lodge 7 miles from Mtn.would be a major driving issue on snowy days...any thoughts?

Alta Crystal Resort?   Looks nice, been tempted to try the place because they have the heated pool and hot tub.......but I’ve always taken the convenience of the Alpine Inn or one of the other Crystal Hotels properties over the hot tub.  

In a worst case scenario.....I’ve heard the Crystal access road from 410 can be a parking lot, but that may be the exception rather than the rule.  Me, if there has been snow overnight, I’d rather wake up to the sound of earth movers clearing the parking lots and explosives on the Hill than to a 30++ minute drive.

It’s nice to be able to walk to/from the Snorting Elk after some fun apres!

Have a great time, can’t wait for the trip report.

It's really good right now... may be even better next weekend.

Big Pow days with mini-Weave at White Pass this weekend.  This kid is like a Powseeking Missle

professor wrote

Heading to Crystal first week of March....

I don't want to jinx it, but it's looking pretty sweet as of right now... good luck!! Looking forward to your TR!

  Thanks for advice on lodging...I decided to go slope side...found a small condo unit at a pretty reasonable price

Definitely hit up the restaurant at the Alpine Inn for a dinner.  The weiner schnitzel a la Holstein is A++.  The breakfast there in the morning is nothing to write home about but it’s a good place to fuel up if you aren’t cooking in your condo or don’t want standard ski lodge breakfast fare.  

Food at the Snorting Elk can take a while and it can be hard to find a seat if it’s hopping, but it’s pretty good.  As is the beer.  Their Bloody didn’t impress me.  The crowd there is always fun, last time I ended up drinking with a bunch of 20 somethings who worked at the hill and lived in emoloyee housing.  They all had interesting stories to tell.  

The mountain doesn’t sell bottled water, so stock up on the way in.  They do sell water pouches you can fill up and keep in your pack.

While it looks like it may dry out next week, there’s a foot plus in the 5 day and temps should stay cold.  While I love skiing powder I’ve really come to appreciate visibility, especially somewhere like Crystal where the scenery is spectacular.  A little cloudiness will be your friend to keep the sun from baking the south facing slopes, but it looks like you should have really good conditions.  I’m sure there will be lots of leftovers to enjoy if you want to work for powder turns.  If you want any terrain recommendations, while I’m no authority I do have a handful of days experience in bounds, and I’m pretty familiar with the backcountry.  If you do explore be careful.  With some of the warm weather a week or so ago there is a buried thaw-freeze crust out there, with a number of avalanche fatalities in the Snowqualmie Pass area on Sunday.

https://www.nwac.us/accidents/accident-reports/

My last suggestion....get the Fat Map app, and pay for the premium content.  Well worth it.  Fat Map is pretty cool, a 3D topographical map of the area with info on all the marked runs.  Location, what lifts to take to get there, slope degree, difficulty, description of the terrain.  The premium content will show you lots of runs that aren’t on the resort trail map.  No doubt locals hate Fat Map, but the owner at Crystal was big into it and the content on Crystal is extensive, and better than any other mountain the app has.

Have fun, I’m very jealous!

Another one arriving tomorrow into Thursday....

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Heavy mountain snow and valley mixed precipitation
  possible. Total snow accumulations of 4 to locally 10 inches in
  the valleys, with mountain accumulations up to 3 feet.

* WHERE...Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry, Priest River, Eastport,
  Schweitzer Mountain Road, Colville, Northport, Deer Park,
  Chewelah, Newport, Kettle Falls, Springdale-Hunters Road, Orin-
   Rice Road, Flowery Trail Road, Republic, Inchelium, Wauconda,
  Chesaw Road, Highway 20 Wauconda Summit, Boulder Creek Road,
  Sherman Pass, Leavenworth, Mazama, Twisp, Winthrop, Stehekin,
  Conconully, Blewett Pass, and Loup Loup Pass.

* WHEN...From Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on difficult travel conditions.
  Significant reductions in visibility are possible. Heavy wet
  snow may break tree branches and lead to scattered power
  outages.

When you're in you're in, when you're out you're out.

Have fun!

Damn it’s exciting to be traveling to a general area with a forecast like that.  Who knows what actually happens, but as a skier it gets the juices flowing.