Hello skiers and snowboarders,

 

Happy New Year’s Eve! 

 

The New Year will start off without much change in the short-range forecast. Weather fronts continue to split apart and weaken as they try and deliver more snowfall to the Northwest.  This current weather pattern results in little or no new snow for the Cascades and Inland Northwest. There are hints of changes ahead. I have growing confidence of changes ahead. 

 

Forecast – snow levels: near 3,000 ft.

 

  • Monday – partial clearing
  • Tuesday - late day: minor new snowfall (trace-1”)
  • Wednesday- partial clearing, spotty new snow
  • Late week and weekend: colder, higher confidence Friday snowfall (4-10" ?)

 

The snowpack is well below normal as temperatures are above normal (see graphics below).

 

The lowland rainfall is above normal while snowpack is thin. The problem, of course, is warmth causing high snow levels and less snowfall. This is called a “snow drought” – not a good pattern for snow lovers. The warmth is bad enough, but lately, precipitation has been missing the mountains altogether, while the western Washington lowlands get soaked. The Inland NW is hurting too. Not much rain or snow is getting past the Cascades. It’s high pressure over parts of the West blocking the storms causing some of the problem. Most of the West has a below-normal snowpack. But the NW resorts have made the best of it with good grooming - there is skiing. 

 

 

I’ll have a snow reality check and what’s ahead. In a typical season, we would see about 35% of our total seasonal total snowfall by now (January 1). That means about 65% of our potential seasonal snowfall would be ahead of us. But this is not a normal year. We have a ways to go, to get out of this hole – but a couple of good storms could do the trick.

 

I may have a more optimistic short-range NW forecast by the time you join us on Wednesday’s ZOOM. It appears, initially, a cooler January is coming, with new snow on Friday. Join us with the ZOOM. I’ll answer as many questions as I can.

 

Grand Poobah of Powder

larry schick - meteorologist

 

 

Reminder: I'm doing another ZOOM - everyone is invited.

"Ski season 2023-24: What the heck is going on?"

Wed, Jan 3rd 6:30-7:30.

Expect about a 20-minute presentation with Q&A following. Submit your questions early with the google form. Powder Poobah, Larry Schick, meteorologist.

Meeting ID
860 0302 2114

Passcode
387573

ZOOM LINK


GOOGLE FORM LINK FOR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE