Ride the endless winter!

The 2009-2010 snow season is off to an amazing start! And since the weather looks promising for even more snow, I am issuing my first POWDER ALERT of the season for this SATURDAY MORNING!

The weather pattern looks ideal Friday and Friday night. A weather system dropping out of the Gulf of Alaska will initially bring snow early Friday. But as colder air arrives Friday afternoon, and as another snow-producing weather feature arrives from the northwest, significant snow is likely in the Cascades Friday evening. And with the snow level falling to as low as 1,500 feet, it means that the powder at the higher ski areas will range from moderate density to drier, higher-quality fluff. Not bad for November!

So… how much snow will fall? Below are my forecast probabilities for the period from Friday morning to Saturday morning:

More than 6″… 95% likelihood
More than 12″… 50% possibility
More than 18″… 20% chance

Saturday will be mainly dry… so get up there early to enjoy the fresh tracks. And while my POWDER ALERT is specifically for SATURDAY MORNING, there will be significant accumulating snow during the day Friday as well.

Enjoy!

Drew Jackson
KPTV FOX 12 meteorologist

Check out www.SkiOregon.org for current conditions at all Oregon Ski Areas!

In the Pacific Northwest, El Nino winters are typically a little warmer than usual. But the amount of rain and snow is a lot more variable. For example, at Mount Hood Meadows, their second-snowiest winter on record occurred during an El Nino winter. But one of the most disastrous snow seasons on record, the winter of 2004-2005, was also an El Nino winter. Those are two extreme examples. Most El Nino winters bring snowfall that is not too far from average, with the extreme winters being rare (and impossible to predict in advance).

One positive aspect of El Nino winters is that more often than not, the snow tends to arrive early in the Cascades. I believe we’re seeing that this year. That big late October snowstorm dropped nearly two feet of snow at the higher ski areas, but warmer rain immediately following the storm melted the snow away. That’s the way it works in October, as the snow comes… and goes. But November snow typically grows… and stays! And while this most recent storm brought enough snow to open some runs at Timberline and possibly Mt. Hood Meadows later this week, all Oregon’s ski areas, are starting to build a healthy base. And with more storms on the horizon, the start of the 2009-2010 skiing/boarding season appears imminent!

So… wax your boards and get your gear organized. And keep checking your e-mail, as my first “Powder Alert” could hit your inbox anytime now!

Think snow,

Drew Jackson
KPTV FOX 12 meteorologist

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Powder Alerts by visiting Ski Oregon

A new storm arriving Wednesday night will bring increasing snow to the Cascades and Blue Mountains. The heaviest snow will fall Thursday morning, but nearly continuous snow is likely all the way through Thursday night.

Snowfall totals should be close to 2 feet from Wednesday night through Friday morning!

Initially, the snow will be a little wet, as the freezing level will be near 4,000 feet early Thursday. However, the freezing level will fall during the day Thursday, dropping to 1,500 feet by Friday morning. The snow will become increasingly dry and fluffy from Thursday afternoon into the evening. Thursday will be the stormy, snowy and powdery all day… Friday will be calmer & drier with fresh powder in the morning.

Enjoy the endless winter!

Drew

A new storm system will drop into Oregon from the northwest on Saturday bringing heavy snow showers. While there will be some temporary breaks in the falling snow, I expect nearly continuous snowfall from Saturday morning through Monday morning – with a storm total of 20-30 inches likely!

The snow level will be no higher than 1,500 feet into early next week, and with temperatures at the ski areas in the teens to low 20s, this new snow will be about as light & fluffy as it gets in the Northwest.

Similar to the last storm, this coming storm will feature the heaviest snow in the north Oregon Cascades and the Blue Mountains in northeast Oregon. But the mountains in central and southern Oregon will get significant snow too.

High winds are a possibility again, however, so there will be heavy drifting…and lift operations will likely be affected at higher-elevation ski areas.

Enjoy!

Drew

A storm system will drop into Oregon from the northwest on Thursday bringing heavy snow. Steady snow will increase during the day with 12-18 inches of new snow likely by the time the storm dies out Friday morning.

The snow level will lower to 2,000 feet later Thursday, so the snow will not be too wet or thick.

While Thursday will be increasingly snowy, Friday is likely to be the bigger powder day, as significant new snow is expected Thursday afternoon and evening. (Night skiing Thursday night should be EXCELLENT!)

In this weather pattern, the heaviest snow will be in the north Oregon Cascades (Mount Hood area) and also the Blue Mountains in northeastern Oregon. But central and southern Oregon will get their share as well – just not quite as much as the northern and eastern areas.

Enjoy!

Drew

Between now and Wednesday, there will be several inches of new snow… but the snow level will be a little higher than I’d like to see it. It’ll bounce around between 3,000 and 4,500 feet over the next couple days. While that’s low enough to allow the precipitation to fall as snow at all of our Oregon ski areas, the temperatures will be 27-33 degrees… which means that the new snow will be a little wet & heavy. The heaviest snow through Wednesday is likely to be in the central Oregon Cascades (Hoodoo, Bachelor, Willamette Pass.)

Beginning later Wednesday, the situation will improve. My POWDER ALERT is for WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. The snow level will lower – down to 1,500 feet by Friday morning – so the snow quality will improve with ski area temperatures in the teens to mid 20s. There should be 8-15″ of new snow (at all ski areas) from later Wednesday through Thursday… and this will be on top of the several inches of wetter snow that is expected to fall before Wednesday. Lastly, there won’t be much wind with the storms this week… so there won’t be much blowing or drifting snow this time around. Just deep powder spread evenly throughout the ski areas.

Enjoy!

Drew

In an effort to visit more Oregon ski areas this season, I made a trip to Central Oregon to ski at Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo this past weekend. Since it’s been such a bummer snow month, my expectations were low. My, was I surprised. At both places, the snow was in excellent shape!

Mt. Bachelor – Sunday, February 1st

Looking towards the summit

I had a marathon day, skiing from 8:30am until 3:45pm. That’s how good the skiing was! Despite it being purely a groomer day, Mt. Bachelor is large enough and grooms so many runs that I never got bored. Being Super Bowl Sunday, there wasn’t much of a crowd. I waited 5 minutes to board the Sunrise Express once, but otherwise I never waited more than a minute or two.

The grooming team at Mt. Bachelor is top notch. I’ve skied at other resorts famous for their grooming (Deer Valley and Sun Valley) — and Mt. Bachelor’s groomed runs were of the same caliber as the runs at those resorts. The snow was hard-packed and fast, yet still carvable. And while the mountain could certainly use additional snow, there isn’t a problem with rocks or bare spots. Everything is well-covered.

Downed Trees from the Ice Storm

The damage from the early-January ice storm was incredible. Unfortunately, it’s going to take several feet of new snow to cover all of the trees that are down in the forest. Without significant new snow, the tree-skiing season is over. I had heard reports about the damage, but I was unprepared for the sight of so many snapped & downed trees. And nearly one month after the storm, there is still thick ice on trees & lift towers on the west side of the mountain. This “blue” ice is nasty stuff – totally bulletproof. Some of it still coats the snow off the groomed runs… which is why the groomers are the only place you want to be until snowstorms return.

Thankfully, Mt. Bachelor is not short on groomed runs. Among my favorites (by lift):

Rainbow chair: Flying Dutchman, I-5.

These runs had the best snow on the mountain, as the eastern part of the mountain featured softer snow. These runs also had the fewest people skiing them, so even at 3:00pm, the runs were still smooth.

Summit Express: Beverly Hills, Healy Heights.

The summit was hard-packed and icy… but these are classic, steep cruisers no matter the groomed snow surface.

Pine Marten Express: Tippytoe, West Boundary

While Thunderbird is usually my favorite warm-up run, Tippytoe & West Boundary see far fewer skiers/boarders and have similar pitches. Tippytoe isn’t always groomed, but when it is… it’s a “dig in the edges to avoid a skid” screamer. Love it!

OutbackExpress: Boomerang, Down Under

Not always groomed… but when they are, both of these runs feature long, steep & sustained pitches. The runs on this side of the mountain are generally steeper & longer than those on the east side.

Northwest Express: Snapshot Alley to Atkenson’s Zoom, Osprey Way to Sparks Lake Run

These are long, rolling & winding screamers that start steep & become gentler towards the bottom. Narrower than many of Bachelor’s other runs, the runs in the Northwest Territory are among my favorite runs in the entire USA! At two miles, they’re leg-burners for sure… and they demand control and skill when skiing at speed.

Overall, I was very impressed with the conditions at Mt. Bachelor on Sunday. The staff was friendly as well — the lift operators and ski patrols were kindly professional during every exchange I observed. Mt. Bachelor is one of those mountains that is so big that, even with a large number of skiers/boarders on the mountain, it never seems that crowded.

Hoodoo – Monday, February 2nd

The view from the parking lot

On my return to Portland, I stopped by one of Oregon’s oldest ski areas on Santiam Pass. But while Hoodoo’s history goes way back, it’s facilities are anything but ancient. The lodge and quad lifts are brand new. And while the runs are much shorter than Mt. Bachelor’s runs, Hoodoo’s groomed runs are generally steeper than those at other Oregon ski areas (especially when compared to the Mt. Hood areas).

Unfortunately, I could only spend about 3 hours at Hoodoo before I needed to get in the car and head home to Portland. But during those 3 hours, I was able to get in about 15 runs.

I have never skied an Oregon mountain so deserted of other skiers/boarders. It was rare that I encountered another person on any of my runs. It was almost eerie. The weather was beautiful – comfortable temperatures & little wind beneath blue sky & sunshine. And yet no one was there. With such a low skier count, the groomed corduroy remained as corduroy the entire morning. I must give a shout-out to Hoodoo’s grooming department as well — the grooming was expansive and flawless. And unlike at Mt. Bachelor, Hoodoo’s off-the-groomed snow was soft enough to ski — especially in the sun-exposed spots. The Grandstand run off the top had small moguls, and by 10:30am they were soft & fun to ski.

Once at the summit, with a couple exceptions, one can ski nearly 360 degrees off the top of the Butte. I’ve never been to Hoodoo on a powder day, but I can imagine that the summit runs of Crater, Face, and Chuck’s Backside would be heavenly when the snow is deep & fresh. Hoodoo rarely gets crowded enough for lift lines, so powder lasts longer here than at other areas (so I’m told!).

While Hoodoo is a much smaller ski area than Mt. Bachelor or the Mt. Hood areas, I definitely recommend a visit if you’ve never been there. It’s a friendly place with a nice, caring staff. There is terrain for all abilities. And the mountain & lodge don’t get overly crowded (but I hear the parking lot can fill on the busiest days). Hoodoo’s annual Winter Carnival is this Saturday (Feb. 7th) — check it out!

Overall, the weather pattern is going through a significant change – from super-stormy to super-serene. Starting next week, high pressure takes control over the Northwest – meaning that blue sky, sunshine, and calm winds will prevail nearly every day next week. We’ll have a little bump in the road to pass over this weekend, however, as a weak weather system slides through Sunday morning. A few light rain or wet snow showers are possible Sunday – otherwise it looks dry and pleasant for most of the week ahead.

Enjoy the snow!

After a wild couple of weeks (and a nasty weekend in the mountains), the weather is returning to “normal” – meaning lots of rain in the lowland valleys… and lots of snow in the higher elevations. Tomorrow looks excellent with 1-2 feet of new powder awaiting us. The top 6 inches should be of excellent quality, as temperatures will fall into the upper teens or low 20s late tonight into tomorrow morning. The snow level should lower to 1,500 feet by tonight. For up to the minute conditions, check out the Ski Oregon conditions page or follow us on Twitter.

Looking further ahead, there are several storms lined up in the Pacific – and they’re aimed right at the Northwest. The freezing level is going to bounce up and down with each arriving and passing storm, so watch the forecast closely, as the timing of each arriving weather system will determine when the freezing level rises and falls.

Enjoy the powder,

Drew

A powder day at Ski Anthony Lakes; credit: Jerry Kreig

This is truly my first POWDER ALERT of the 2008-2009 season… and the POWDER ALERT is for this THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH.

A cold and wet weather system will drop into Oregon from the northwest on Wednesday. Snow begins in the mountains (and lower elevations too) in the morning, so Wednesday will feature new snow as well. But the snow will likely add up 8-12″ deep by Thursday morning, making that day a great one for powder lovers. Hopefully, with the additional snow, ski areas will be able to open additional terrain.

Looking further ahead, there is another storm on the horizon that is due to arrive this weekend. The computer models are all over the place in their prediction about the forecast snow level, but I personally believe there will be significant new snow in the mountains again this weekend.

For up-to-the minute updates, check our conditions page at Ski Oregon or follow us on Twitter.

Enjoy the powder,

Drew