PNW Conditions

Damn, I’ve been close to pulling the trigger.....but Whistler and the PNW with their fluctuating snow level this week is putting me off!!  Grrrr....

What made me back off. Was going to do Whistler next week after my meetings when I'm out there but the snow levels made me bag it.

If I could have gotten the ticket for cheap would have gambled but airfare was too much for me to gamble on this time.

Reports from Crystal today were not favorable.  Good morning, but then things got warm and wet.  83mph wind gusts and no upper lifts.  High pressure will build in, but when the wet sets to Cascade Concrete it looks like good groomers and extremely variable off piste.  I think Whistler saw similar.  It wouldn’t have been a good use of one of my limited trips to have gone this weekend.  A powder day at Magic today was a good salve!

What’s the real scoop nepa, did we make a bad choice?

Pow Days through Sunday... 2 to 3 feet over the next few days with more in the forecast for next week.  Snow levels are currently at the valley floors, but will ascend slowly to 4k by Sunday.  As of now, it looks like everybody is getting a pretty good refresh from this one.

We're well below average for the season across the board, but in general it doesn't seem all that bad. Here's to a cycle packed February.

Weekend looks good.... cold air firmly in place... this next one has Blower written all over it.

Very cold morning temperatures will descend over the region
Thursday morning with readings in the single digits above zero
common with protected pockets dipping below zero.

A more active winter weather pattern is expected beginning on
Friday and lasting into the weekend with an increasing potential
for moderate to heavy snow accumulations over all elevations of
the region Friday night and Saturday.

It only happens once or twice a season... the rare event when the East side of the mountains gets more snow than the west.  Mission Ridge is in the cross-hairs for this one... 48 hours of cold dry snow on the way.  I was supposed to leave for Salt Lake tomorrow, but as a result of this good fortune, we have postponed departure until Sunday morning.  If you can get to Wenatchee this weekend, I'll have a room waiting for you!!

 

So jealous. Happy trails!!

We've been blessed... 15 so far, 12 to 18 on the way today... then another one for Monday.

Ticket booked to SEA-TAC on the 21st for three days out there, most likely looking like the Snowqualmie Pass area.  Like Squaw was closed Sunday because of too much so, all Summit/Alpental ops are on hold today, the result of 4 feet in 36 hours time, with I90 closed.  Several more feet in the 10 day, hoping the forecast and snow preserving cold hold!  For the BC there is an unbreakable rain crust now buried several feet deep, so we’ll see how that plays out, but boy, there is a lot of snow out there!

How's the PNW been doing in general this year with all the storms across the west?  I've been busy and not tracking things as closely as usual.  I am maybe trying to pull of a trip in March sometime, have some FF miles to use.  Was even thinking of checking out Portland/Hood/Mt. bachelor/Bend maybe take a ride up to Crystal from there and loop back around.

I'm not very knowledgeable on the PNW but would like to know more if I decide to persue something for March.

Other option is to head to Utah, but flights don't seem as cheap as they used to be into SLC anymore....

Yeah, the one thing about SEA is flights have been cheap this year, often on short notice even.

Obviously nepa will weigh in, who knows better than him?  However, I follow TAY closely, for lift served and backcountry reports. My impression is that, while from a percentage of average snowpack and percentage of open terrain perspective it’s a good season, there have been some challenges with snow levels, rain, and in the backcountry some PWL and crust events, that have created some less than ideal conditions a little more often than has perhaps been seen the last few years, even for the Cascades.  Of course there have been some really good days mixed in, too.  Then you have the last couple weeks, and into next week, where they’ve had multiple feet, like Tahoe-like FEET, in just days, but with super cold temps and Wasatch-esq 3% snow.  Very unique for the PNW to have a cycle like that, of which I’m hoping to catch.

So, I think heading through the rest of Feb and into March it’s going to be good to really good, with the usual caveats about the PNW and snow levels if the pattern gets more normal.

If you are thinking the first weekend in March check out Cascade Powder Guides.  Their 3 day cat skiing yurt trip runs $1,150, including 3 days of cat skiing, lodging, and meals from their yurt at 5,000 feet in the Steven’s Pass environs, and it looks like they have open spots.  Heck, you can’t get 3 days cat skiing anywhere for that, much less the other stuff, and all at the Cascades only cat ski operation.  Damn, lift tickets, lodging and meals at a ski area could easily run that much, for lift served.  If I wasn’t going to be in Placid that weekend I’d join you!

PNW is doing awesome.

Bend is hands down my favorite ski town..That's because it really isn't a ski town.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Y2HWH1Ya464

Kendall is in the Snowqualmie Pass area, where I’ll probably be in 10 days....

ADmiKe wrote

How's the PNW been doing in general this year with all the storms across the west?  I've been busy and not tracking things as closely as usual.  I am maybe trying to pull of a trip in March sometime, have some FF miles to use.  Was even thinking of checking out Portland/Hood/Mt. bachelor/Bend maybe take a ride up to Crystal from there and loop back around.

I'm not very knowledgeable on the PNW but would like to know more if I decide to persue something for March.

Other option is to head to Utah, but flights don't seem as cheap as they used to be into SLC anymore....

It was a slow start for us.  Not a disaster, but nothing to get too excited about. The past two weeks have made things much better.  When I left for SLC on Sunday, we had picked 40 inches at Mission over a period of 4 days.  There has been another 20 inches since I left.  More snow is on the way for the end of the week... more on the West side than the East, but by the end of this week, most areas will be at normal snowpack depths for this time of year.

March is typically pretty good.  You need to hit it early, as the solar effect can transform things to manky dog shit pretty quickly.

With the normalization of the north Cascade snowpack you'll have good coverage everywhere.  I would base yourself in either Seattle or Portland, and ski either Washington or Oregon.  Trying to get both will make for a lot of time in the car... especially if you're driving in the snow.

JTG4eva! wrote

Yeah, the one thing about SEA is flights have been cheap this year, often on short notice even.

Obviously nepa will weigh in, who knows better than him?  However, I follow TAY closely, for lift served and backcountry reports. My impression is that, while from a percentage of average snowpack and percentage of open terrain perspective it’s a good season, there have been some challenges with snow levels, rain, and in the backcountry some PWL and crust events, that have created some less than ideal conditions a little more often than has perhaps been seen the last few years, even for the Cascades.  Of course there have been some really good days mixed in, too.  Then you have the last couple weeks, and into next week, where they’ve had multiple feet, like Tahoe-like FEET, in just days, but with super cold temps and Wasatch-esq 3% snow.  Very unique for the PNW to have a cycle like that, of which I’m hoping to catch.

So, I think heading through the rest of Feb and into March it’s going to be good to really good, with the usual caveats about the PNW and snow levels if the pattern gets more normal.

If you are thinking the first weekend in March check out Cascade Powder Guides.  Their 3 day cat skiing yurt trip runs $1,150, including 3 days of cat skiing, lodging, and meals from their yurt at 5,000 feet in the Steven’s Pass environs, and it looks like they have open spots.  Heck, you can’t get 3 days cat skiing anywhere for that, much less the other stuff, and all at the Cascades only cat ski operation.  Damn, lift tickets, lodging and meals at a ski area could easily run that much, for lift served.  If I wasn’t going to be in Placid that weekend I’d join you!

All good info JTG... you should move out here!!

This was filmed down the road from my house... It's been a great week in the PNW!!

Lowland Squilchuck Valley Skiing

Almost wish I stayed home and lapped my backyard routes!!

Should be a nice weekend in the PNW.  My wife at Mission yesterday...

Nice!

This.....

Alpental Notice: Pro Patrol will be actively blasting the upper Back Bowls region all day. Elevator Gate is open, Nash Gate will remain closed. For your safety and the safety of others, please do not duck ropelines and do not traverse past Brownie Bowl via Elevator Gate.

.....is getting me excited for next weekend.

6-12 in the forecast Tues/Wed, then a few to four inches each day late week through the weekend.

I’ll probably try to hook up with Pro Guiding on Friday for a Snowqualmie BC day (Chair Peak?  Slot Couloir....conditions permitting?), then a couple days to play around Alpental.