ORH_wxman Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Yeah those mid April 2007 pics look just a tad different than 2012, lol. I'd love to see another 2001 ending to winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Wow at the Loaf... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Wow at the Loaf... Wish I had pics from SR in 01, unreal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Sugarloaf got 75-100" in 5 days in April 2007? That seems hard to believe...that's like 16-20" everyday for 5 days. Those pics look like a lot of snow but maybe like 40-60" would seem more likely to me. I've always wanted to go to Sugarloaf...similar hardcore mountain like Mansfield...experts dream with big snow and big terrain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Wish I had pics from SR in 01, unreal. Wish I had pics from anywhere in northern VT from that year... Jay Peak with 580", Stowe and Smuggs with 450-500" (and 132" settled depth), 5 foot snowpack even in the valley at 800ft... That March saw all northern VT mountains with well over 100"...most were near 150" and I think Jay had like 180" that month. Synoptic plus upslope leads to some huge multiple-day totals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamarack Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 The Sugarloaf 4/12-17/07 snow was two events, and followed by a week another large storm. The 1st storm of the 12-17 period hit on 4/12-13 and dropped 13" of fairly light snow on Eustis, about 10 miles NNW of the 'Loaf and - at 1,260' - nearly 3K ft lower than the summit. Then the Patriots' Day blast added 13" more at Eustis, but this time there was about 4.5" total precip, all at temps 30-35. It would be no surprise to learn that Sugarloaf got 20"+ from the 1st event and 4-5 feet (or more) from the 2nd. Eustis also had 23" from the "week before" storm, on 4/4-6. Most of the western Maine COOPs destroyed their all time records for April snowfall in 2007. In 2005, Eustis got "only" 8" from the late Oct event, but over 2" qpf at mid-30s temps. 18-24" up the mt makes sense. Eustis also had 25" in Oct 2000, 11" during the 2nd week then 14" from the 29-31 storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Thanks Tamarack! I was actually hoping you'd chime in as you know so much about snow in that area of New England. Either way that's a lot of snow in April 2007...the Greens probably didn't do as good but I know Stowe recorded over 6 feet that month, so not too shabby for April. We had over 100" in Feb and March 07, then like 80" in April....and only like 80" for Dec/Jan combined haha. What a turn around that season with almost 300" in 3 months and only 80" in the two months before that. Valentines Day was a solid 3-5 feet on the mountain but the best storm for skiing was the St Patties Day storm in March. The synoptic part of the storm was fairly run of the mill 12-18" nor'easter snow...but then we just got crushed with upslope on the backside, totaling another 3 feet of pure fluff over like 2 days. That's how it usually works out...with the upslope on the backside making the actual synoptic storm look like an appetizer. I love when I see snow forecast maps for these big storms because no one forecasts the upslope...TV mets or TWC or weenie maps on here usually forecast what they see from QPF maps for the synoptic part, and completely miss the couple feet that will fall after the dryslot moves through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginx snewx Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Freak, this storm had it all http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/extremes/2001/march/mar5-7_2001_snow.txt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarloaf1989 Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 The Sugarloaf 4/12-17/07 snow was two events, and followed by a week another large storm. The 1st storm of the 12-17 period hit on 4/12-13 and dropped 13" of fairly light snow on Eustis, about 10 miles NNW of the 'Loaf and - at 1,260' - nearly 3K ft lower than the summit. Then the Patriots' Day blast added 13" more at Eustis, but this time there was about 4.5" total precip, all at temps 30-35. It would be no surprise to learn that Sugarloaf got 20"+ from the 1st event and 4-5 feet (or more) from the 2nd. Eustis also had 23" from the "week before" storm, on 4/4-6. Most of the western Maine COOPs destroyed their all time records for April snowfall in 2007. In 2005, Eustis got "only" 8" from the late Oct event, but over 2" qpf at mid-30s temps. 18-24" up the mt makes sense. Eustis also had 25" in Oct 2000, 11" during the 2nd week then 14" from the 29-31 storm. We stayed at the White Wolf Inn at the time and the town of Stratton was digging out the streets with a highway grader due to the huge piles of heavy wet snow falling at around 32F. The Spillway Chair and the Timberline chair had to be dug out by snowcat to operate on April 17-18th and a cat got struck at the loading area on Spillway and had to be towed out. More pics from Sugarloaf right after the storm ended: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarloaf1989 Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Saddleback closed for the season on sunday April 15th, 2007 with a 72" settled base. It was quite sad really: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Pure awesomeness. **** the tropics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamarack Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Thanks Tamarack! I was actually hoping you'd chime in as you know so much about snow in that area of New England. Either way that's a lot of snow in April 2007...the Greens probably didn't do as good but I know Stowe recorded over 6 feet that month, so not too shabby for April. We had over 100" in Feb and March 07, then like 80" in April....and only like 80" for Dec/Jan combined haha. What a turn around that season with almost 300" in 3 months and only 80" in the two months before that. Valentines Day was a solid 3-5 feet on the mountain but the best storm for skiing was the St Patties Day storm in March. The synoptic part of the storm was fairly run of the mill 12-18" nor'easter snow...but then we just got crushed with upslope on the backside, totaling another 3 feet of pure fluff over like 2 days. That's how it usually works out...with the upslope on the backside making the actual synoptic storm look like an appetizer. I love when I see snow forecast maps for these big storms because no one forecasts the upslope...TV mets or TWC or weenie maps on here usually forecast what they see from QPF maps for the synoptic part, and completely miss the couple feet that will fall after the dryslot moves through. (Snow) numbers 'r' us. In 2007 I'd measured 19" snow thru Jan 31, then 76" from there on, 37" of which came in April. Historically, a seasons' snowfall is about 50-50 (or more precisely, 44"-44") for those periods. The only greater 1st-2nd half ratio came the year before, with 45" thru 1/31 and only 8" after. Ugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NECT Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Great pics Coventry. I was up there with my wife and kids at the same time. They were plastered with snow, but it took them the better part of the am to open the lifts. Once they did, it was some of the best skiing I've seen at the Loaf. It was raining for the entire trip up until about Ayottes. I had convinced my parents and my brother and his kids to come up too, and they were groaning about the rain the entire trip up. Eventually, they admitted it was a good idea to head up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adk Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 That's how it usually works out...with the upslope on the backside making the actual synoptic storm look like an appetizer. I love when I see snow forecast maps for these big storms because no one forecasts the upslope...TV mets or TWC or weenie maps on here usually forecast what they see from QPF maps for the synoptic part, and completely miss the couple feet that will fall after the dryslot moves through. Not everybody forgets about the upslope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 This thread is making me so freaking scared I won't be able to ski this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarloaf1989 Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 And so it begins: URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT 537 AM MDT FRI AUG 24 2012 MTZ002-241800- /O.CON.KMSO.WW.Y.0044.000000T0000Z-120824T1800Z/ WEST GLACIER REGION- 537 AM MDT FRI AUG 24 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON MDT TODAY FOR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON MDT TODAY. * IMPACTS/TIMING: A HUGE CHANGE TO MUCH COLDER CONDITIONS... STRONG WINDS AND MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN IS EXPECTED THIS MORNING. * STRONG WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WITH GUSTS TO 70 MPH AT LOGAN PASS. * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: UP TO ONE INCH IS EXPECTED IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF GLACIER NATIONAL PARK...MAINLY ABOVE 7000 FEET. * TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE 20 TO 30 DEGREES COLDER THAN OBSERVED THE PAST FEW DAYS. * THE HIGHER TERRAIN WILL ALSO BECOME OBSCURED IN THE CLOUDS AND SHOWERS THIS MORNING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I can't wait to go back to work... and have a front row office seat in one of the snowiest areas in New England. Where I can just watch it dump snow and more snow, and then get to go play in it and measure it. I hope to see a lot more of this out my window this winter... more than I did last year, haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Not everybody forgets about the upslope From an October 2005 AFD out of BTV... "As usual..." it will continue to snow after it stops every where else in New England. EVEN THOUGH THE SFC LOW PRESSURE AREA IS MOVING AWAY RAPIDLY INTO THE CANADIAN MARITIMES...THE SLOWER-MOVING UPR AIR CRCLN AND ABUNDANT MSTR WRAPPING SSEWRD FROM QUEBEC INTO A GENERAL OROGRAPHIC UPSLOPE MEANS SNOW WILL BE SLOW TO END...WITH NWRN SLOPES OF GREEN MTNS...AS USUAL...BEING THE LAST PLACE IN NEW ENGLAND FOR SNOW TO END FOLLOWING A WELL-DEVELOPED SYNOPTIC STORM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 This makes me want to ski so bad... re-living the February 25-26 upslope monster now. I love the beginning to Meatheads latest trailer about how the winter's been so poor, and then its all come in the last couple days and now the powder skiing is better than anywhere. That was essentially what happened last season. We will have to wait a while again before we get 3 feet of blower pow in 36 hours followed by immediate blue skies. http://www.skitheeas...2-movie-trailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.Spin Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 I'm responding to this NNE post here, since it was somewhat off topic there. I would think that August 30th is late for the first freezing/sub-freezing reading. OT, but is it just me, or does alpinezone stink more than ever as a forum? I think most ski forums have changed a lot in the past 5 to 10 years due to the influx of personal web logs, and things like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Also, the novelty of forums has worn off somewhat because most topics have been discussed to death and posting pictures or videos is no longer that special; it’s pretty commonplace and folks may not want to put in as much effort. For these reasons, and probably others, most of the ski forums seem to have taken huge hits in participation (especially when it comes to posting trip reports). AlpineZone really seems to have retained a really good level of participation though. There’s certainly a lot of SNE influence on AlpineZone, so one sees a lot of that perspective there, and I wouldn’t say it comes across as “rad” as something like TGR, but then again TGR usually comes across like listening to a bunch of high school kids trying to be cool by showing who can put people down the most while somehow simultaneously demonstrating that they actually care the least. The conversations on AlpineZone are often Northeast-focused and informative, so I’ve always like that aspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Got some "new" boards yesterday. The WaWa Labor Day sale was on. I looked over some packages, etc. Did not have a ton of money to spend, but I wound up with a pair of Salomon X Wing Hurricanes from a few years ago. Never used, still wrapped. So much wider/rounder than what I have skied on before. The guy at the shop talked with me a bit and really helped. Not looking to set the world ablaze, but have not owned a pair like these before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I was looking through photos from last season and I love this one from early in the season. Classic sunrise seen from Mountain Operations Center with snowmaking going on at the base of the Quad on the right. I can't wait to see every sunrise again and go back to the routine of 4:30am and wandering through the woods on Mansfield in the pre-dawn darkness to measure snow and check stakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Even in the worst winters like last season, we still have some very good days...so no matter what happens this winter, you can bet there will still be epic powder days. February 26, 2012 Mount Mansfield/Stowe, VT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 UConn stepping it up big this year. PLEASE HEAL ANKLE PLEASEEE We will be headed to PARK CITY for winter break, making turns at Park City, the Canyons, and Snowbird/Atla!!! We've got you booked for 7 nights in mountainside condos, 5 days of lift tickets, round-trip airfare from Bradley, and bus transportation in Utah all for just one incredible price that will be UNDER $900 ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Very good deal there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Very good deal there... Extremely good. I'm going to have to bust my azz to make it happen physically though. I get my cast off Friday, and I'll at least be able to walk. I was weighing in around 200 lbs before my surgery (purposely got it there through working out, eating etc) so I assume I'm like 205 right now. That is NOT a good skiing weight, so when the doctor clears me I'll cut it. I can usually safely cut 30 lbs or so in about a month and a half, so as long as I'm cleared by October my body should be ready for the trip. I'm excited, just gotta get healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarloaf1989 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I think that a repeat performance of last winter could put a few of the mom/pop ski areas out of business, or at the very least into serious financial trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I think that a repeat performance of last winter could put a few of the mom/pop ski areas out of business, or at the very least into serious financial trouble. I think most smaller areas were in serious financial trouble last year... but any industry that relies on weather is prone to that issue. Back-to-back years of the exact opposite type of weather you need to be profitable is a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORH_wxman Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I think most smaller areas were in serious financial trouble last year... but any industry that relies on weather is prone to that issue. Back-to-back years of the exact opposite type of weather you need to be profitable is a problem. I'm not sure how into ski history you are, but a ton of mom and pop ski areas opened up in the late 1950s and 1960s...they were quite successful largely in part due to the prolific winters we kept having. A lot of those places didn't make snow. The nasty patch of winters starting in '78-'79 and continuing right into the 1980s put a big strain on them and many went out of business. Now it wasn't all weather related...a lot of highway construction was implemented which made it easier to get to larger resorts up north...however, the weather definitely did influence it to a significant degree. I've read on how several of them didn't think it was worth it anymore when they got 2 or 3 bad winters in a row....a feat which was unheard of for the previous 15 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarloaf1989 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I think most smaller areas were in serious financial trouble last year... but any industry that relies on weather is prone to that issue. Back-to-back years of the exact opposite type of weather you need to be profitable is a problem. Last season was unique with with near record low snowfall amounts in most spots in the Northeast followed by a heatwave in Mid-March. I can't recall most major resorts closing in Mid-March and I've been skiing for 30 years. Hopefully we have a strong winter as I have fears that it will be another failure yet again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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