As past winters have proven, long-range winter forecasts aren’t exactly a precise indication of how much snow a region will, or will not, receive. However, as climate patterns materialize, they can provide some clues about what a ski season may hold. As fall gets underway, climate patterns often start to emerge that will have impacts on the ski season. The NOAA has issued a La Niña Watch, anticipating it to start developing in the fall and continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter. You can learn more about La Niña in this article.

Without further ado, let’s get into my complete long-range winter weather forecast for the 2024-25 season.

2024/2025 Long-Range Winter Forecast By Meteorologist Chris Tomer

Keep in mind that this is a forecast, and a long-range forecast at that. What’s forecasted in the fall for the upcoming winter often varies, and can vary significantly. During the 2022-23 ski season, for example, we saw a rare triple-dip La Nina, in which parts of North America, particularly in California and Utah, saw far more snow than was originally forecasted. A number of Utah and California ski areas broke their all-time season snowfall records. We then said so long to La Niña and hello to El Niño for the 2023-24 ski season. La Niña is now predicted to return for the 2024/25 ski season. However, I think it’ll be a light La Nina.

Which Ski Resorts Could Receive The Most Snow?

La Niña historically favors the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and northern tier states. I’m forecasting above normal snowfall in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Northern California, Northern Utah, and Northwest Colorado.  This includes Whistler Blackcomb, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Schweitzer, Brundage, Whitefish, Discovery, Bridger Bowl, Big Sky, Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee, Sun Valley, Alta, Snowbird, Snowbasin, Park City, Deer Valley, Solitude, Brighton, Powder Mountain, Mt. Shasta, and Steamboat.

This could change, but I don’t see this winter’s storm track benefitting the Midwest and the East Coast like it will the West Coast.

As the ski season gets closer, I’ll be back with twice-weekly forecasts that’ll be published every Monday and Thursday morning.  

The post 2024-25 Long-Range Winter Weather Forecast for North America appeared first on OnTheSnow.

Before talking about El Niño and La Niña, however, it’s important to have some context and understand what defines normal conditions. As the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) writes, “During normal conditions in the Pacific Ocean, trade winds blow west along the equator, taking warm water from South America towards Asia.” Cold water then rises from the depths to replace that warm water. This is known as “upwelling.” The cold water then cools the air in the region. This is why San Francisco is known for its cool, foggy summers. As the NOAA continues, “El Niño and La Niña are two opposing climate patterns that break these normal conditions.”

La Niña vs. El Niño

La Niña means that the sea surface temperatures in a large area of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean (around the equator) are below normal. Conversely, El Niño means that sea surface temperatures are above normal in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, and that there’s higher-than-normal air pressure over the western Pacific. These sea surface temperature fluctuations can significantly influence global weather patterns, especially during the winter for the U.S.

This strong influence on winter weather is important because it provides some confidence in the seasonal snow forecast ahead of the start of the ski season. Many people, and even meteorologists, are skeptical of long-range weather forecasts, and especially those that purport to predict amounts of snow or rain several months into the future. Forecasts aren’t typically very instructive for an entire winter in the absence of La Niña or El Niño events. However, when El Niño or La Niña events influence the weather patterns, meteorologists often can provide a more confident seasonal forecast by looking at snowfall and weather patterns from past La Niña seasons. In short, La Niña gives us a historical guide to forecasting the future.

“La Niña tends to organize the wintertime jet stream in a way that favors the Pacific Northwest and Northern Tier of states with the most consistent winter snowfall,” writes OnTheSnow meteorologist Chris Tomer. As Tomer continues, “La Niña tends to leave California and the Southern Tier of states drier and warmer than normal.” This pattern isn’t conducive to atmospheric river setups, and drought can deepen as a result.

What Will La Niña’s Impact Be On This Ski Season?

La Niña has been a dominant weather force in recent years. North America experienced a rare Triple-dip La Niña during the 2022-23 season, as we saw three consecutive seasons of La Niña.  This had only occurred 3 times in the last 73 years, according to meteorologist Chris Tomer. And what a winter it was. The 2022-23 ski season saw a number of ski resorts out West, particularly in California and Utah, break snowfall records. That was followed last season by an El Niño event, which dissipated at the end of the spring. A La Niña winter this year would mark the fourth La Niña event in 5 years. A recent study suggests that multi-year El Niños and La Niñas could become more common.

So how is the 2024-25 ski season shaping up? The NOAA recently issued a La Niña Watch, predicting La Niña conditions to emerge in September-November (71% chance), and to persist through January-March of 2025. As the NOAA writes, “This month, the team relies more on the latest North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) guidance, which predicts La Niña to emerge in the next couple of months and continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter.”

As the above graphic illustrates, the Pacific Northwest, northern tier states, and Canada stand to benefit the most from a La Niña pattern. However, that’s not always the case, as evidenced by the 2022-23 ski season, when regions that were expected to be drier and warmer, like California and Utah, had record-breaking winters. Nonetheless, past La Niña patterns provide some context and guidance for what a La Niña winter could hold.

The NOAA’s La Niña Watch stated that the IRI plume has predicted a La Niña event that is weak and short in duration. As the NOAA writes, “A weaker La Niña implies that it would be less likely to result in conventional winter impacts, though predictable signals could still influence the forecast guidance.”

This was also reflected in Meteorologist Chris Tomer’s long-range weather forecast, which you can view below. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, where Chris will be sharing twice-weekly snow forecasts beginning in November.

Regardless of how the upcoming La Niña materializes, you can count on snow. Time will tell just how much snow that North America will see. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates, and download our app, so you can see the latest ski conditions, snow forecasts, and more.

Stay tuned for meteorologist Chris Tomer’s long-range winter forecast for North America. Then once the snow starts flying in November, Chris Tomer will be back sharing twice-weekly snow and weather forecasts.

The post La Niña Predicted to Return for the 2024-25 Ski Season appeared first on OnTheSnow.

Snow Before You Go | Twice-Weekly Snow Forecasts

by Meteorologist Chris Tomer, 

If you’re anything like us, then you probably can’t wait to hit the slopes. The 2024-25 ski season will be here before you know it, and once snow starts flying in November, Meteorologist Chris Tomer will be back with twice-weekly forecasts that are published Monday and Thursday mornings.

There’s already a lot of anticipation for the 2024-25 ski season, as the NOAA has issued a La Niña watch. We last saw La Niña during the 2022-23 ski season, when many ski resorts out West, particularly in California and Utah, broke their season snowfall records. See Chris Tomer’s long-range winter forecast for the upcoming winter to see what a La Niña winter could mean for North America ski resorts.

• 2024-2025 winter forecast
• What La Niña means for ski season
• Does elevation affect temperature
• How weather models work

The post Snow Before You Go: Where to Find the Best Snow this Week appeared first on OnTheSnow.

Well it depends on who you ask. Powder is what many skiers live for, to feel that weightlessness, softness and smoothness of skiing through fresh, natural snow. However, for beginners, and even some winter athletes, skiing on groomers has its advantages. What’s more, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were competed on 100 percent artificial snow.

The majority of advanced, and even many intermediate skiers, however, will agree that nothing beats skiing or snowboarding on powder. But what exactly makes skiing on powder better?

Well it’s all science. While artificial snow may resemble snow to the common person, it’s going to feel different when you’re skiing on it. Natural snow provides skiers and snowboarders a more weightless feeling as they cruise down the mountain because natural snow crystals stack very loosely on top of one another. A fresh layer of powder can be as much as 95% air. Naturally then, it feels so much softer and lighter to ski through.

Traditionally, there are two kinds of powder skiing. At ski resorts, resort powder lies over a firm base, with skis often penetrating through the new snow to the surface underneath. The powder cushions the old surface and controls the skier’s speed. However, a more thrilling and satisfying version of powder skiing may seem bottomless. When there’s no underlying surface to push against, skiers rely on speed to float through powder on their skis or snowboard. This is what you’re more likely to find when heliskiing or on a snowcat tour.

Whether skiing on fresh powder at a ski resort, or skiing in the backcountry, a majority of recreational skiers agree that skiing on powder is superior. It’s no surprise that powder days are so revered.

Powder skiing expert tips

Like anything else in life, it’s great to get some expert tips so we can start out right and get better and better. We asked Kevin Jordan of the Snowmass Ski School at Aspen/Snowmass for some of those tips. He is a member of the National PSIA-AASI Team (Professional Ski Instructors of America/American Association of Snowboard Instructors) and also teaches in the Snowmass Bike School when the snow melts.

In talking with Snowmass’s Kevin Jordan, he shared that there’s a common misconception among many people who think you have to lean back to ski in powder. The reason for the myth, says Kevin, is because many people think you need your ski tips out of the snow. Instead, he says, “Try being centered over your foot and let the snow compress underneath you. Think center of your foot versus leaning back.”

The water content of snow can vary from ski region to ski region and sometimes from resort to resort. Kevin suggests bouncing a couple of times before you start turning to see what kind of snow you are getting at that moment. “Some powder snow can be very light and dry (such as Colorado and Utah),” he says. “Other powder snow can be dense (such as Mammoth Mountain or the Lake Tahoe resorts) with more water content.”

Finally, one of the most important considerations for powder skiing is turning. Kevin suggests getting up to speed before you start turning.”Since there is more resistance in powder snow because it takes more time to compact underneath you, skiers may ski steeper runs or need to ski straight for a little bit before turning,” he says.

Choosing skis for powder

Skis make a difference. “Wider skis have more surface area and tend to plane, like a boat would in water, better in the snow. If you have an opportunity to try wider skis on a powder day, do it,” Kevin adds. When it comes to choosing skis, many skiers (particularly those who live on hardpack and only get to ski powder once or twice each season) prefer to find an all-mountain ski that performs perfectly in powder.

OnTheSnow.com’s pre-season round-up of the latest and greatest skis recommended the Salomon QST 106 for just that reason. The QST 106 is a ski designed to take on the whole mountain, with an emphasis on deep powder surfing. The QST 106 maintains a 106mm underfoot platform that excels when the snow gets deep, boast Salomon.

Header Photo Credit: Sun Valley Ski Resort

The post Expert tips: Why Skiing on Powder is Better appeared first on OnTheSnow.

The simple way to put it is mountains manufacture their own snow. No, we’re not talking about snowmaking machines, we’ll get to that in a moment or two.

You know doubt know from personal experience that the higher you go up a mountain, the colder it gets. So when the atmosphere gets thinner and thinner, the air isn’t able to retain heat and falls with cold air. When that air reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit  (O Celsius), the water freezes and it will snow. Did you know that all rain starts as snow and then melts while falling?

So, how do mountains “make snow”?

The moist wind hits a mountain and is forced to rise. Rising air expands due to lower pressure and that expanded air cools, allowing the moisture to condense into the snow. The process (good for apes ski trivia) is called orographic lift. It is responsible for making more than half of the snow that naturally falls on large mountains. Then, there’s convective precipitation that occurs when air vertically rises through a portion of the atmosphere fed by heating, moisture, and vertical forcing. In other words, the moisture is forced out of the atmosphere as precipitation.

What about “human-made” snow?

Snowmaking has probably been the single most important factor that has saved skiing and snowboarding season. Here’s a fun fact: The first snowmaker, per se, was Louis Gelb, a Warner Brothers technical director, who conjured up a cold and wet blizzard on a sunny day on the studio’s back lot in Burbank, California. This first-ever snowmaking machine consisted of three rotating blades that shaved ice from a 400-pound block and a high-powered fan that blew all those particles into the air. That probably started it all.

We can all use weather models to find snow

Snowmaking today works on the same principle but has become amazingly sophisticated. Water and pressurized air are forced through a snow gun or a large “cannon.” And voila, snow. It is used to assure the reliability of a resort’s snow cover. It can add to the snowpack or actually be the snowpack. And, it is so good that you often may not know the difference between what was shot from guns or what fell from the sky.

More on Snow Science

Does elevation affect temperature? It sure does

How do weather models work?

Does wind affect snow? You bet it does and it’s good and bad

The post Snow Science: How Mountains Make Snow appeared first on OnTheSnow.

If you can click your way around some weather sites, hop in the car with a day’s notice and drive to the best snow, you may be an amateur powder chaser. There are some people, however, who are already skiing or riding that powder before you even finish your latte. During those hours you binged-watched Netflix, they will have tracked the storm that will deliver the deepest snow total at the ski resort with the perfect steep pitch and high probability of opening the best terrain—and they will be first in line because they got there at 5 a.m. thanks to an addiction to high-quality snow and flexible jobs that allow them to leave at a moment’s notice.

Forget the Beach, Snorkels are for Snow

Luke Stone is a powder chaser who “only ride[s] when it snows,” not being tempted to get out of bed this season, for example, for anything less than 10” overnight.

“I think I’m at 26 so far this season, and the average is probably 30+. So I don’t wind up riding an insane amount of days, but then again, I do have a full-time job!” At 34 years old, the Utah resident manages pediatric oncology research trials for the University of Utah, however, his flexible schedule means he can request time off with only a day’s notice.

If he wants to ride locally, he can hit the mountain in the morning and work a half-day or later shift. “A lot of my work doing clinical research involves tasks that I can do at my desk, any time.

Certainly, there are times when I have meetings and study visits that I can’t get out of, but for the most part, my schedule is flexible and I use all of my paid time off during the winter chasing powder,” says Stone. He describes an excursion chasing the infamous bomb cyclone storm.

“Arizona Snowbowl (12” overnight, 18” storm total) north of Flagstaff, and then over to Taos (14” overnight, 33” total, and closed all day the day before) in New Mexico. I mentioned that I was thinking about taking Wed/Thu off to my boss on Monday, and then put in the official request on Tuesday. I left Salt Lake City at 4 p.m. and drove to Flagstaff, arriving around 11 p.m. Got to he mountain around 7 a.m., rode til around noon. Then I drove to Santa Fe, got dinner, went to bed. Woke up at 5 a.m. and drove two hours to Taos. Was on the mountain until 2 p.m. and then drove 10+ hours home to be at work on Friday!”

Stone also works for Powderchasers.com, a website dedicated to posting forecasts for deep snow, where he manages social media and also helps with forecasts. But his greatest passion is chasing storms and traveling to find and ride the best powder.

“At Powderchasers, we honed our skills when it comes to nailing down all aspects of a storm, including quality as well as winds during the snowfall,” he adds. Stone and his powder chasing cohorts consider themselves amateur meteorologists, specializing in predicting and hunting down the best snow. “My bookmarks are like a goldmine,” says Stone.

He uses a handful of websites, including WeatherBELL.com, Weathernerds.org, and the University of Utah’s atmospheric science page. He also looks at data from SNOTEL (snowpack sensors operated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS) across the country. “SNOTELs are crucial in terms of snow water content, wind speed and direction to figure out what the snow is going to be like when you get there,” says Stone. “They’re hard to find and it took a long time to collect them.”

The goal for Stone is not just figuring out where the deepest snow will be, but how to get the best bang for his buck. There are several other factors he considers, including the quality of the snow, a certain length, and steepness of the terrain, how likely it is the avalanche danger will be too high to open that terrain, and if the access road is likely to close.

“There’s a limited number of resorts that fall into that category, so we constantly look at these resorts to see if they’re going to get a big storm,” says Stone.

Snowbird, Utah is one of Stone’s favorites, but his shortlist also includes Crystal in Washington, Squaw Valley in California, Arizona Snowbowl, Big Sky in Montana, Jackson Hole in Wyoming, Telluride, Vail, and Aspen Highlands in Colorado. He’s a regular on Priceline and Expedia for low-price, day-of hotel rates, and he’ll hop on a last-minute flight to California or even New England if the conditions are right.

“I tend to only make those trips if I’m going to get two days of riding due to the cost/benefit ratio,” he says. At Mammoth, for example, Stone will take a hard look at snow quality and weather. His favorite terrain is at the summit, which often gets hit by winds, thus delaying the terrain’s opening after a storm. “If you wait 24 hours after the snow settles, it doesn’t ride as lightly,” says Stone.

Powder chasing pro

For meteorologist Chris Tomer, the perfect storm comes in on a Northwest flow pattern and favors Colorado’s Central and Northern Mountains, including Vail, Breckenridge, Steamboat, Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, and Winter Park. “A dip in the jet stream delivers the right wind direction and cold temperatures resulting in dry, light snowfall.” This fluffy, dry snow and its effects are also known as pow-pow, blower, cold smoke, white room to name a few, and even garnered a trademark from Steamboat in the form of Champagne Powder.

Tomer has an extensive background both in analyzing mountain weather and in mountaineering, including a BS in Meteorology and a decade of working with skiing and mountaineering teams from Mount Everest to Denali (you can view his weekly Snow Before You Go forecasts here at OnTheSnow).

According to Tomer, with an overwhelming amount of information, the Internet has made it possible to “wire and fire,” but he does caution amateur meteorologists: “I believe the best risk management comes from working with a professional meteorologist,” says Tomer. “You have to accept that anything less is not seeing all the weather variables at play. You don’t know what you don’t know.”

Tomer recommends developing a decision tree to evaluate the choices—and their consequences. “Once you become intimately aware of resort operations, you can tailor your decisions and then plan your drive or flight right down to the latest Google traffic report,” he says, suggesting that storm chasers in training focus on familiar ski resorts.

• In your decision tree, the canopy kicks off with the following reports from bona fide meteorologists while also looking at trends and the movement of weather systems like El Niño/La Niña. “This starts before ski season begins with medium-range and long-range forecasts,” advises Tomer.
• The middle part of the decision tree includes looking at weather patterns a week ahead for storm systems. “This consists of a mix of OnTheSnow, National Weather Service, model charts, meteorologists on social media and television, local boutique sites, local avalanche experts and forecast discussions both by professionals and locals,” says Tomer.
• The bottom of the tree is what Tomer calls “fine-tuning,” where your local knowledge comes into play, and skiers can look at risk factors as well as timing. “Having intimate understanding of specific ski area operations can make or break an experience,” Tomer points out. “For example, at what wind speed does Mammoth Mountain close lifts? Does Winter Park open certain lifts earlier for early birds? Your final decision is based on all of these factors.”

You may only have time to follow Chris Tomer’s forecasts and powder recommendations—and most certainly, that will lead to a great day on the slopes. A little extra time online and some local knowledge may lead to an epic day. Some people, like Luke Stone, have the freedom to live the ski/board bum life, though one could argue that Stone and other powder chasers like him have a lifestyle that borders on obsession.

“If you get to be the first one down the trail on a super deep day on steep terrain, it’s an incredible rush,” says Stone. “We all have addictions, ours is definitely deep storms and the feeling you get when you’re the first one down because everything lined up perfectly.”

The post Storm chasing: How to line up the perfect snowstorm appeared first on OnTheSnow.

SNOTEL stands for SNOpack TELemetry, which is a fancy name for a remote backcountry weather station that measures snow and transmits the data wirelessly. There are 730 sites dispersed throughout the western states of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, South Dakota, and Alaska.

These sites are primarily focused on measuring both snow depth and the amount of water contained in the snow. Most skiers want to know the depth of the snow and how much new snow has fallen. Unfortunately, this is the measurement most prone to error.

The snow depth sensor shoots a beam down toward the snow, and this beam is then reflected back up. A piece of simple electronics measures the time it takes for the beam to return to the sensor and calculates the snow depth and change in snow depth.

Errors arise because the reflection of the beam off the snow surface is often inconsistent since snow is mostly made up of air pockets and not a solid layer of crystals. Use the snow depth data cautiously.

SNOTEL Measurements

A more trustworthy measurement is called Snow Liquid Equivalent (SWE), which shows the amount of liquid that would be present if you melted a column of snow. The way that SWE is measured is truly ingenious. A large rubber bladder is filled with antifreeze liquid and placed on the ground.

As snow accumulates on the rubber bladder, the weight of the snow presses down and forces some anti-freeze liquid out of the bladder and through a measurement tube.  Scientists correlate the amount of anti-freeze forced out of the bladder with the weight of the snow above.

This measurement is usually very accurate, but it does not provide the exact data skiers are looking for. Skiers can estimate new snowfall by multiplying the change in SWE by about 15, which is an average snow-to-liquid ratio for western states. For example, if SWE increased by 0.5 inches during a storm, this could mean about 7.5 inches of new snow (15 x 0.5 = 7.5). For heavier, wetter snow, multiply by about 10. For drier, fluffier snow, multiply by about 20.

Measure temperature, too

SNOTEL sites also measure the air temperature and some sites even have sensors that provide relative humidity and wind speed. However, none of this weather or snow data would be useful unless we could view it in near real-time.

Since many of these stations are far in the backcountry and only accessible by skins or snowshoes, scientists devised a creative way to transfer the data back to a central headquarters. They use meteor burst communication, and the best part is that it’s free.

Each SNOTEL site transmits a radio signal into the sky, and this signal bounces off a band of ionized meteorites existing from about 50 to 75 miles above the earth. Two ground stations in Ogden, Utah and Boise, Idaho capture the bounced signal, and all of this happens in near real-time and is free.

SNOTEL sites were originally funded and maintained for water managers that were making forecasts of spring snowmelt and how much water would be available to fill reservoirs.

This is still the primary function of SNOTEL sites, but since the data from each station is available online and updated about every hour, skiers and riders can access the data and use it to get a real-time look at snowfall across the remote mountains of the western United States.

Check out the video below to learn about Utah’s SNOtel stations.

The post What’s a SNOTEL site and why does it matter? appeared first on OnTheSnow.

The snow is dumping again at Utah resorts, and the sounds you hear are eager skiers tapping away online booking trips to Salt Lake City, a perfect hub for winter adventures. With its spacious new international airport providing nonstop service to most major U.S. cities (and several European gateways), SLC gets rave reviews for moving travelers from the terminals to the trails (at 11 of Utah’s 15 ski resorts) in an hour or less. This accessibility means visitors spend more time on the slopes.

It also means planning ahead for winter in Utah is easy and comes with more options in terms of lodging and activities, from affordable to opulent, than most ski towns. When weather reports forecast feet of snow along the Wasatch, savvy travelers can typically find last-minute lodging and lift ticket deals to make their powder dreams come true. Moreover, with an Ikon Pass, Epic Pass, or SkiUtah Passport (for 5th and 6th graders), skiers not only save on this trip but, with less effort than bombing down a mogul field, save enough for a second getaway in Spring.

For those who want to explore beyond boundaries, visitors can enjoy urban amenities (museums, theaters, sports) or far-out adventures (think: well-prepared journeys to the snow-dusted national parks and dozens of other monuments and state parks), all within a morning’s drive of any given resort.

Because Utah’s ski towns are nestled among the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, the desert grasslands of the Great Basin, and the sweeping red rock slabs of the Colorado Plateau, they offer endless ways to play from coursing through corduroy to canyoneering, from golfing to glamping.

Tap, tap…the snow is still coming down, but the sounds are now skiers clicking their boots into their bindings, sliding their goggles over their eyes that are staring across the glistening powder and over the horizon to all that awaits here in Utah. Ready to go? Take a few minutes to read How to Prepare for Your Utah Ski Vacation.

Still need more convincing? Read 5 Reasons Utah’s Weather Guy Loves Spring Skiing.

The post Pow Pow Now: Another Big Snow Event Hits Utah Mountains appeared first on OnTheSnow.

Jackson Hole Like A Local

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is located 12 miles northwest from the town of Jackson and is situated on the east side of the Grand Teton mountain range. This range is one of the most iconic and photographed in all of the United States and is anchored by the Grand Teton itself, rising to 13,775 feet.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort extends from a valley base at 6,311 feet to a summit elevation of 10,450 feet. There is plenty of beginners and intermediate terrain, but Jackson Hole is best known for its consistent pitch with a vertical rise of over 4,000 feet.

Understanding the location of mountain ranges is important because big mountains create their own weather. Air is forced to rise over these masses of rock, and as the air rises it cools and moisture condenses into snow. This is called orographic lift and it’s the most important factor when forecasting powder.

If you’re looking at a weather map searching for the next storm heading toward Jackson Hole, keep your eyes peeled for storms that bring winds from the southwest, west or northwest. These winds all provide a good orographic lift and pump plenty of snow into Jackson Hole.

Temperature inversion at Jackson Hole

Another notable aspect of Jackson Hole’s weather is the temperature inversion where the base is colder than the mid and upper mountain. Cold air is denser than warm air, so it sinks and fills in lower elevation areas. As the cold air settles in the valley, the lower slopes can stay quite cold while the upper slopes above the inversion and can be 10 to 20 Degrees warmer.

When a favorable wind direction combines with good moisture and cold temperatures, massive snows can pile up. The average snowfall per season from 2007 to 2012 was 459 inches, a hefty amount for a mountain located well inland from an ocean moisture source. Snowfall is measured in various locations around the mountain by automated sensors.

But with over 4,000 vertical feet from bottom to top, snowfall amounts can be much different as you move around the mountain. Also, Jackson Hole can be quite windy at the summit, but dropping down into the bowls or trees usually protects skiers and the snow from being too wind affected.

Now that you know the local weather patterns at Jackson Hole and how snow is measured, the only thing left to do is enjoy your powder day!

The post Jackson Hole Snow 101; know weather patterns like a local appeared first on OnTheSnow.

Wind direction can make or break snowfall accumulation at ski areas. In particular, certain wind directions can set up a weather scenario that can generate heavy snowfall at Jackson Hole, Vail and at the Lake Tahoe resorts thanks to the unique mountain topography surrounding these mountains.

This process is called orographic lift, which is the interplay between wind and mountains. Under the right conditions, upslope flow is air moving higher in the atmosphere where air temperatures are colder. Eventually, that air hits saturation and condenses to form clouds and eventually snow at ski areas.

While there are other important snowy weather factors at play, wind direction is critical depending on the terrain. You may have a simple storm system loaded with moisture, for instance, but if the wind direction is wrong, then very little snow may fall at these resorts.

We want to avoid wind directions that hit higher peaks before it reaches these resorts because this creates a downslope, or snow-eating wind by the time it reaches the ski resort(s). We see it all the time in Colorado at Vail where southern track storm systems rarely generate big snow.

We can all use weather models to find snow

Getting a bit more in the weeds: Two kinds of winds are particularly active in mountain valleys. Anabatic winds are active in the daytime. The air comes in contact with heated slopes, warms up and extends upward. Katabatic winds get active at night and are downslope winds that cool their respective valleys.

Read on for the wind patterns that generate the best chances for optimal snowfall in these ski resort regions. Keep in mind that while other wind directions might work, they will generate less snow.

Jackson Hole: Upslope vs. downslope

The relief of the Teton Mountain Range is significant at roughly 7,000 vertical feet. That creates a granite wall forcing airflow up and over the range—orographic lift, which is often referred to as upslope flow.

Sometimes also referred to as a snow-maker wind, upslope flow cools and condenses the air, creating weather. The opposite effect is called downslope flow where the wind travels down the mountain range. Downslope flow has a warming and drying effect.

The ideal wind directions for Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole (shown on the graphic) include west, west-southwest, northwest and southeast wind directions.

Wind directly from the east and south both produce downslope drying because it runs into other topography and higher peaks prior to reaching Jackson Hole/Grand Targhee.

For example, an east wind runs into the Wind Rivers. That air is put through the entire moisture cycle before reaching Jackson Hole/Grand Targhee.

Best blustery snow at Lake Tahoe resorts

Tahoe is generally in good position to receive heavy precipitation from the Pacific, but adding the right wind direction is also critical. Ski resorts around the lake interfere with each other’s snowfall production. As an example, an upslope for Palisades Tahoe can be a partial downslope for Heavenly.   

The ideal wind directions that set up a clean upslope flow for solid snow conditions in the Lake Tahoe region depend on what resort you’re skiing. Generally, a west-southwest wind is best for the resorts on the west side of the lake, such as Palisades Tahoe and Sierra at Tahoe.

This wind can also have a smaller positive effect on the other resorts around the lake. A northwest wind benefits Heavenly, Mt. Rose and Diamond Peak. A southeast wind can also benefit those same resorts on the east side of the lake.

Winning winds for Vail

The Gore Range to the north and the Sawatch Range to the south play critical roles in blocking and redirecting wind flow. Vail mountain itself offers a smooth upward glide surface for the right wind directions, and the back bowls are in the perfect position to receive upslope snowfall.

The ideal wind directions for creating the best snow conditions at Vail Ski Resort are west-northwest and northwest. In Vail, those wind directions yield a clean upslope flow that doesn’t hit other higher terrain prior to reaching Vail mountain. Wind directly from the north, south and east produce downslope drying off higher peaks.

Other factors, such as temperature profiles in the atmosphere, can enhance these effects (but that’s fodder for a future weather discussion).

Does elevation affect temperature?

Can wind melt the snow?

The post Does wind affect snow? You bet it does and it’s good and bad appeared first on OnTheSnow.