# Drought hurts Sierra snowpack



## legalskier (Jan 30, 2015)

I was talking on the chairlift to a ski patroler who was pumped for his 2 week trip to the Tahoe area next week. He won't like this-

_*Sierra snowpack dismal for January; fourth year of drought looks likely
*__...At least three ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area closed within the past two weeks. It was the driest January ever at Tahoe City, which saw only 0.03 inches of rain during the month...._

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article8580011.html#storylink=cpy


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## deadheadskier (Jan 30, 2015)

such a bummer.  It was looking good there for a little bit in December.


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## Rowsdower (Jan 30, 2015)

I was checking seasonal snowfall totals yesterday out of curiosity. At this point most Vermont resorts have received almost 30% more snow this season than Tahoe, and most would say this isn't even a good year for the NE. That's just depressing.


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## Bene288 (Jan 30, 2015)

Similar situation last year when I went. Still had a blast.


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## thetrailboss (Jan 30, 2015)

This will be the third consecutive drought season for Tahoe. Dry in Utah as well 


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## WJenness (Jan 30, 2015)

I just decided against going to Tahoe for a few days after a thing in Reno I have to do at the end of February... Hopefully my cancellation will make the snow gods angry and they will blanket Tahoe in white gold to make me jealous I skipped out.


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## bdfreetuna (Jan 31, 2015)

Tahoe is dunzo unless low pressure is able to build off the coast of California. Seems like every time it pops up it just fizzles out. I've been told there is an effort to block Fukashima radiation. I'm not sure how if at all true that is, but I do study Earth and space weather, and what's going on off the coast of California is unusual, to say the least.

I was watching the same jet stream pattern taking place over about a year. Every time low pressure was about to cause some counter clockwise rotation off the coast of Cali, it's like a shot of high pressure came down on it. When that happened it caused pronounced jet stream modulations such as polar vortex formation we've been getting used to lately.

I think they are doing something like Aquiess Global Rain Project to manipulate jet streams and possibly keep the rads down in Cali. This is jet stream manipulation tech using EMF, openly advertised, available, and used by many governments around the world.

At the same time California is planning to install ionic rain generators. Seems to me like too much of too many people messing with the weather. After studying weather and climate modification for the last decade, speaking to insiders in the research meteorology field, there's a lot more I could say...

But I've generally found that people like to observe things but when you try to point them towards information which could inform their knowledge on the subject, there begins the hostility.


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## snoseek (Feb 3, 2015)

December was decent at upper elevation. January was sunny, dry and 50 everyday. It once again is a rough time here. Warm water off the coast has parked a big ass ridge for the better part of four years...only going away briefly. 

We do have massive moisture incoming but snow levels are marginal.

I'm lucky enough to call Kirkwood my home base. We were 100 percent before xmas and have pretty much remained although thin as hell and extra techy so much of it you'd have to be insane to attempt. But this incoming atmospheric river will give us several feet of base builder while other places like squaw and lake level resorts will take a beating. Yep....Kirkwood, Rose, Sugarbowl and upper heavenly..Everyone else will be screwed.

Things don't usually get going till mid feb-april anyway. Still have hope or I'd be long gone.


I like it here, people are cool and terrain is best in lower 48 easily but Tahoe isn't a viable resort destination as it once was IMO.


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## MadMadWorld (Feb 11, 2015)

bdfreetuna said:


> Tahoe is dunzo unless low pressure is able to build off the coast of California. Seems like every time it pops up it just fizzles out. I've been told there is an effort to block Fukashima radiation. I'm not sure how if at all true that is, but I do study Earth and space weather, and what's going on off the coast of California is unusual, to say the least.
> 
> I was watching the same jet stream pattern taking place over about a year. Every time low pressure was about to cause some counter clockwise rotation off the coast of Cali, it's like a shot of high pressure came down on it. When that happened it caused pronounced jet stream modulations such as polar vortex formation we've been getting used to lately.
> 
> ...



https://panokroko.wordpress.com/201...shima-fallout-raining-down-on-the-west-coast/


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## bdfreetuna (Feb 11, 2015)

Potassium Iodide... good for protecting thyroid from radiation damage.

Barium salts and silver iodide... good for absorbing (barium) and precipitating (silver iodide) airborne radiation. 

Zinc chloride and Calcium chloride... prevents precipitation allowing moisture to travel further.


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## snoseek (Feb 15, 2015)

Sweet, sweet corn today.

I'm still holding on to hope, not giving up yet. PNA forecasting to go neg and an overall big pattern flip by march 1st. Enjoy your historically epic snowfall New England, I am truly jealous but a month from now I bet the tables turn....I can only hope. You heard it here first


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## catsup948 (Feb 15, 2015)

PNA flip is not good for southern New England without a -nao.  Northern New England I bet does pretty well in this pattern.


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## MadMadWorld (Feb 15, 2015)

snoseek said:


> Sweet, sweet corn today.
> 
> I'm still holding on to hope, not giving up yet. PNA forecasting to go neg and an overall big pattern flip by march 1st. Enjoy your historically epic snowfall New England, I am truly jealous but a month from now I bet the tables turn....I can only hope. You heard it here first



You sit on a throne of lies!


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## snoseek (Feb 15, 2015)

I want northern ne to keep dumping for May skiing upon my return but GODDAMN do I want a pattern flip bad!!!

If this doesn't materialize in a couple weeks I'm seriously considering driving to Vermont and finshing out the season there


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## thetrailboss (Feb 15, 2015)

Fwiw Utah is not doing any better. Dry and warm. Not good.


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## SkiingInABlueDream (Feb 15, 2015)

thetrailboss said:


> Fwiw Utah is not doing any better. Dry and warm. Not good.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone



Is there any chance the outlook improves for next week (22nd-28th) or is it just more of the same?  
I'm at Snowbird/Alta that week. (Trip booked in Dec.)


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## snoseek (Feb 15, 2015)

skifastr said:


> Is there any chance the outlook improves for next week (22nd-28th) or is it just more of the same?
> I'm at Snowbird/Alta that week. (Trip booked in Dec.)





A first glance it looks like a trough will finally set up after almost 8 weeks towards the end of your stay, but again the models have busted so many times this winter who knows. Best bet may be to just find corn....Also that good terrain is always gonna be a fun time. If you could bump forward a week or two....


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## thetrailboss (Feb 16, 2015)

skifastr said:


> Is there any chance the outlook improves for next week (22nd-28th) or is it just more of the same?
> I'm at Snowbird/Alta that week. (Trip booked in Dec.)



Boy I sure as hell hope it changes. This has been bad. As said, we get lots of teases but no real change. 


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## SkiingInABlueDream (Feb 16, 2015)

snoseek said:


> A first glance it looks like a trough will finally set up after almost 8 weeks towards the end of your stay, but again the models have busted so many times this winter who knows. Best bet may be to just find corn....Also that good terrain is always gonna be a fun time. If you could bump forward a week or two....



Adjustment of expectations - good advice!  Definitely wish I could push the trip back for multiple reasons, not just weather in Utah.



thetrailboss said:


> Boy I sure as hell hope it changes. This has been bad. As said, we get lots of teases but no real change.



I'll interpret that as you've given up on forecasts at this point. :-(


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## snoseek (Mar 1, 2015)

Finally a legit powder day today. Some of the fluffiest snow I've ever seen. I've seen what can happen later in the season here and I'm starting to get more optimistic. A season of misery can be simply erased in a couple of weeks...hoping it continues


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## WJenness (Mar 1, 2015)

You're welcome.

If I had brought my skis, it wouldn't have snowed.

-w


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## Rowsdower (Mar 2, 2015)

How is this impacting resorts' bottom lines? You can't make up the season in March/April. Do enough people still go or do other activities to make up for lost ski revenue?


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## VTKilarney (Mar 2, 2015)

I'd love to see a study on how unpredictable various ski regions in the country are for snowfall.  In other words, how big a difference do you see in the range compared to the mean.

Tahoe seems to be pretty volatile.  They can get slammed - but they can also get nothing.


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## St. Bear (Mar 2, 2015)

VTKilarney said:


> I'd love to see a study on how unpredictable various ski regions in the country are for snowfall.  In other words, how big a difference to you see in the range compared to the mean.
> 
> Tahoe seems to be pretty volatile.  They can get slammed - but they can also get nothing.



www.bestsnow.net has some standard deviation info for the different areas.  Tahoe is the most volatile.  Utah is usually the most consistent, along with Grand Targhee.


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## MadMadWorld (Mar 2, 2015)

snoseek said:


> Finally a legit powder day today. Some of the fluffiest snow I've ever seen. I've seen what can happen later in the season here and I'm starting to get more optimistic. A season of misery can be simply erased in a couple of weeks...hoping it continues



For all the bitching we deserve some pics


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## snoseek (Mar 7, 2015)

Drought continues on. Got a couple feet of blower last week and back to sunny and 50's. Forecast is looking same ol....I'm wondering if we'll even go past Easter. At this point I just assume it end so I'm free to go to Colorado and spend some time skiing/biking before my busy summer season starts back east.


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## ScottySkis (Mar 7, 2015)

snoseek said:


> Drought continues on. Got a couple feet of blower last week and back to sunny and 50's. Forecast is looking same ol....I'm wondering if we'll even go past Easter. At this point I just assume it end so I'm free to go to Colorado and spend some time skiing/biking before my busy summer season starts back east.



Sorry.


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## thetrailboss (Mar 8, 2015)

snoseek said:


> Drought continues on. Got a couple feet of blower last week and back to sunny and 50's. Forecast is looking same ol....I'm wondering if we'll even go past Easter. At this point I just assume it end so I'm free to go to Colorado and spend some time skiing/biking before my busy summer season starts back east.



Not much better here. This is getting REALLY old.


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## ss20 (Mar 8, 2015)

thetrailboss said:


> Not much better here. This is getting REALLY old.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone



Meahwhile, at Killington, on the snow report...



> 5:28 pm 03/08/15--We're in the midst of quite a streak here, skiers and riders: Killington's base temperature has remained below freezing for 50 consecutive days. Monday's forecast calls for slightly warmer temperatures so we could see the streak end, but only time will tell.


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## snoseek (Mar 14, 2015)

Bump, March LOL.


No new snow, Temps getting me days and a melting snowpack. Many at this point would just assume it melt off so we can get the fuck out of here and move on. Employee housing is modern day grapes of wrath, minus the dying and stuff. Imagine working so little and getting a two week pay period check for 000.00 because rent deductions. I actually heard the new policy was to give a minimum of 75 dollars...to eat for two weeks. 

Me, I'm actually still having fun...making decent money and skiing super techy lines. Totally gotten robbed...at no point did it feel like winter and with a warm forecast and April approaching I just don't know if its going to happen at all. Maybe a late storm? Maybe next year? Kirkwood season total=150 in!


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## deadheadskier (Mar 14, 2015)

That's like Jay getting 75" in a season.   Damn


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## mriceyman (Mar 14, 2015)

snoseek said:


> Bump, March LOL.
> 
> 
> No new snow, Temps getting me days and a melting snowpack. Many at this point would just assume it melt off so we can get the fuck out of here and move on. Employee housing is modern day grapes of wrath, minus the dying and stuff. Imagine working so little and getting a two week pay period check for 000.00 because rent deductions. I actually heard the new policy was to give a minimum of 75 dollars...to eat for two weeks.
> ...



One of these years it has to go back to normal


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## snoseek (Mar 20, 2015)

Sierra at At Tahoe is closed
Sugarbowl closes on Sunday

Homewood never really opened


Glad I pick Kirkwood as my base. Maybe a little sunday into Monday....enough to buy us a week. End is near.


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## Savemeasammy (Mar 21, 2015)

snoseek said:


> Kirkwood season total=150 in!



Ouch.  That's brutal. 


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## thetrailboss (Apr 1, 2015)

Long overdue for a change....in sum, from wasatchsnowforecast.com:



> Not what we needed coming off two previous near-record low months.  January-March 2015 is far and away the worst such period in recorded history for the Wasatch Range.  Ouch!



:x


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## skiNEwhere (Apr 1, 2015)

deadheadskier said:


> That's like Jay getting 75" in a season.   Damn



Speaking of which....


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## snoseek (Apr 2, 2015)

skiNEwhere said:


> Speaking of which....



I live next door and only went a few times. I'll drive to Kirkwood almost everytime.

I've been in mtb mode....just got back from santa cruz, fuck winter


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## Savemeasammy (Apr 2, 2015)

^Damn.  


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## thetrailboss (Apr 8, 2015)

Wow.  Squaw Valley must be really doing badly.  They are selling full season passes for $349.  

http://www.skinet.com/ski/galleries/2015-16-season-passes?i=55600654&s=5



> Tahoe Superpass Bronze
> 
> Unlimited days at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.
> Limited quantity at $349; regularly $409.
> www.squawalpine.com


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## deadheadskier (Apr 8, 2015)

At least the Sierras got a nice dump today.  Saw a pic from Snoseek.  Must have been awesome.


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## snoseek (Apr 8, 2015)

Overnight totals were heavenly-5 Northstar-6 Rose-5

Kirkwood-24....


Very fluffy snow, I got all the rocky sections memorized...all the northfacing stuff was great. A lot of squawlpine people drove down and you could tell for sure. Yesterday afternoon when things started cranking up were even better, no people at all interested skiing IN the storm. It was nice to get a real deal pow day after such a bad season.

I'll be back likely. I've got a great job that I like a lot and good people around here. It's overall a good formula and sooner or later I'll get some good years


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## snoseek (Apr 8, 2015)

thetrailboss said:


> Wow.  Squaw Valley must be really doing badly.  They are selling full season passes for $349.
> 
> http://www.skinet.com/ski/galleries/2015-16-season-passes?i=55600654&s=5


I'm pretty sure that was the bronze buy early price last year.


Sierra at Tahoe pass is 289 unlimited, gets you days at squaw/alpine and also powder alliance. No blackout dates. On a midweek storm day sierra is simply the very best


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## thetrailboss (Apr 8, 2015)

snoseek said:


> I'm pretty sure that was the bronze buy early price last year.
> 
> 
> Sierra at Tahoe pass is 289 unlimited, gets you days at squaw/alpine and also powder alliance. No blackout dates. On a midweek storm day sierra is simply the very best



Yeah I saw that deal as well.  Now that I think of it, didn't Squaw really go bargain basement with their season passes a few years ago and locals thought it flooded the place with too many skiers/riders?

I would be interested to see if this bad season pushes season pass prices down in the Sierra Nevadas.  I wonder if this will happen, along with a bigger Vail presence, in Utah.


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## thetrailboss (Apr 8, 2015)

snoseek said:


> Overnight totals were heavenly-5 Northstar-6 Rose-5
> 
> Kirkwood-24....
> 
> ...



Well, hopefully you can enjoy some of this good snow for a while before making the drive (if you haven't already).


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## snoseek (Apr 8, 2015)

thetrailboss said:


> Well, hopefully you can enjoy some of this good snow for a while before making the drive (if you haven't already).



I did the past couple days and will for the next couple. All my stuff is packed, washed or stored away as I tend to leave on a last minute whim. I'm looking forward to some Moab and points east vacation time in between. 

Pass prices really can't go any lower, even in a bad year they are a good value. I bet Vail's presence at the very least stops pass inflation in ut. I don't see Altabird taking the squaw route.


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## thetrailboss (Apr 8, 2015)

snoseek said:


> I did the past couple days and will for the next couple. All my stuff is packed, washed or stored away as I tend to leave on a last minute whim. I'm looking forward to some Moab and points east vacation time in between.
> 
> Pass prices really can't go any lower, even in a bad year they are a good value. I bet Vail's presence at the very least stops pass inflation in ut. I don't see Altabird taking the squaw route.



I selfishly hope Alta/Bird goes down this year but I suspect it will stay the same.



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## mishka (Apr 8, 2015)

snoseek said:


> Overnight totals were heavenly-5 Northstar-6 Rose-5
> 
> Kirkwood-24....
> 
> ...




   I saw earlier today snow report for Kirkwood


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## St. Bear (Apr 9, 2015)

snoseek said:


> I'll be back likely. I've got a great job that I like a lot and good people around here. It's overall a good formula and sooner or later I'll get some good years



Good for you.  Unless you're getting paid to do it, it's not all about the skiing.


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