Hello skiers and snowboarders!

 

Short term

We currently have a strong southerly flow which will bring rain to the lower slopes. Then later today and into early Monday snow levels lower to 3000 to 4000'. The first map below shows cumulative snowfall for the period from today through 1 pm Monday. Snow totals for this period are; Crystal, Snoqualmie Pass, Stevens, Crystal 4 to 6 inches mainly for 4000' , lower totals at 3000'. White Pass and Mission should see 3 inches. The second map covers the Pacific Northwest and shows the inland areas will get 3 to 5 inches over the aforementioned period.

Tuesday we are expecting mostly sunny conditions and into early Wednesday as well. Late Wednesday and into Thursday colder air moves in for chances of snow. However, the models differ on this. The main US forecast models is showing 4 to 8 inches. However, the Europe forecast model is showing much less snow. The Grand Poobah can cover this on his Zoom session this Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Friday February 16 cold and dry conditions are expected along with breezy east winds. Then for next weekend we are expecting additional light snow and snow levels close to 3000'.

 

My next update will be on Thursday February 15.

 

The Grand Poobah of Powder

Field report: Whistler, British Columbia– last Monday(5th) – Thursday(8th)

 

I skied Whistler under mostly sunny skies with cool, but not cold temperatures. Groomers were soft, with only a few firm spots. The skiing was wonderful, with great visibility. 

 

I did not run into any rocks or thin spots on the groomers. That’s a tribute to sufficient snow coverage, good snowmaking and excellent grooming. I skied all over, but mostly Whistler bowls: Harmony, Symphony and Rhapsody. Mornings were best, before the groomers were over skied. You could ski top to bottom (5,000 verts). Most runs on the upper mountain were open. Off-piste was variable, with thin spots. A little fresh (2-4 cm) snow helped off-piste on Thursday. For the most part, skiing off the groomers is not recommended, as coverage is lean in some spots, only 65% of normal.

 

The drive was one of the quickest ever, Seattle to Whistler 4hrs 15 min. Nobody at the border and Vancouver traffic was not a problem. Road was dry, with always spectacular views along the Howe Sound – best drive in all of skiing. But keep your eyes on the road!

 

Whistler is busy. It is mid-season, so there are lots of outside visitors. It’s fun to meet people from all over the world and the East Coast of the US…and even a few Powder Poobah fans from Washington – thanks for saying hi! 

 

You should favor skiing mid-week, if possible. Weekends are very busy. One reason Whistler is so popular right now is two of the local Vancouver ski areas (Grouse and Seymour – low elevation resorts) are closed. I could see dirt on the lower ski trails at Grouse from Hwy 1, as I passed North Vancouver. I suspect many of those local Vancouver skiers are now going to Whistler. The reason those areas are closed is they were having lackluster early season snowfall. Then about 10 days ago, they got hammered (worse than us) by a warm atmospheric river – it wiped out much of the meager remaining snowpack at Grouse and Seymour. 

 

Join us on the Powder Poobah  ZOOM call this Tuesday (13th) evening 6:30 pm. See link. I’ll have a ski season update, El Nino, what’s next? More on the dreaded atmospheric rivers. I’ll even have a hint of next season. Of course, I’ll answer your snow, ski and weather questions. 

 

ski on...

The Grand Poobah of Powder

Photo below is skier under Symphony lift  

WINNER RECAP: Mike, Bri, Lisa, and Heidi have all been contacted. Our sponsors pitched in, and we gave away $500 for Outdoor Research and $100 for Aslan Brewing.

Thank you, subscribers! You sent lots of great ideas for wrapping up this season and for 2024-25! Injury prevention, gear talk, goggles, resort info, and more.

 

EVENTS:

  • Zoom with Larry Tues, 2/13. Wacky winter weather. What's in store for the remainder of the season. Larry's take on 2024-25! Win from Crystal Hotel and XEVO Optics.
  • Spreefest (Demo Day) at Summit West on Sat, March 9th. Benefitting Outdoors for All Foundation. Support fav team Shredding for Ben! "Spreefest is our largest winter fundraiser benefiting our mission of enriching the lives of children and adults with disabilities through outdoor recreation."
  • Spring Fling (Demo Day) at Stevens Pass on Sat, March 23rd. Watch here for registration link or follow Stevens Pass events.
  • Women's Outdoor Connection on May 19th in Seattle.