Colorado 2016-17 Colorado Weather

[ski otter 2]

Today at the Bay was very warm under a cloud cover til around 11:30, then some sun and even warmer. Whew.

But, last night they were able to blow snow for the first time since opening, I think. And they blew some on the second slope next door (tho not enough to open it by a long shot.)

So first thing, there were a few inches of new, soft man-made powder on everything, and it was fairly soft underneath, with little refreeze. NIce. And later, in the warmth, things got mounded and stayed fairly soft, relatively speaking.

This was a real contrast from Wednesday, when a good rain the previous afternoon on the lower third of the run froze in the night, then the groomer ridges (were there any?) froze by morning, and it was actually, for the first few runs, about as close to Eastern "hardpan" or "boilerplate" as Colorado ever gets - on just that lower third of the run. Strange.

On the other hand, today was the first day of full on organized (high school?) race clubs on the mountain -everywhere.

At least their turns are highly controlled and predictable.

In addition, it was the most crowded early on the slope I've seen since the weekend. Is this the new norm for Fridays?

 

[RachelV]

I mean, I acknowledge that October has no bearing at all on how the ski season will be, but 80s in late October is NOT the usual weather. We've set record highs for a handful of days now. I personally think that sucks, no matter how the rest of the season plays out.

And this! https://twitter.com/bhensonweather/status/792130034475552768

 

[nay]

More judicious use of "boilerplate" is advised.
I don't think I have ever seen boilerplate in Colorado.
Ask any of our eastern friends what boilerplate is, and they will disabuse you of the term's application vis-a-vis Colorado snow.
We are just so spoiled that, if we ever have to use our edges, we complain that its icy.
AND IT'S OCTOBER FOR GODS SAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love your frequent reports by the way. For some reason, I never bother to stop, pull out my phone, and take a picture. I'm glad someone does!

There was an east coast kid chatting on the lift who said it reminded him of a good day back east. I wasn't complaining, the transition of soft to hard provides good first day agility work and seems a fitting transition from the most recent summer skiing.

But...my edges aren't going to get intentionally much sharper - so up on edge doesn't really mean "hold", it just means lateral movement up on edge in the simple absence of "soft" (even just a little). So there is a relative thing here for those whose quivers a) resemble sieves and b) don't contain sharp instruments .

 

[nay]

I mean, I acknowledge that October has no bearing at all on how the ski season will be, but 80s in late October is NOT the usual weather. We've set record highs for a handful of days now. I personally think that sucks, no matter how the rest of the season plays out.

And this! https://twitter.com/bhensonweather/status/792130034475552768

Yes. More all time highs shattered today (by 4F in COS) and it is hardly more than t-shirt weather at 7,400 ft at midnight.

The forecast along the front range right now is increasingly about fire...

 

[Blue Streak]

I thought Obama was going to end global warming.
Remember the rhetoric about stopping the seas from rising and all of that arrogant drivel

 

[Ron]

Why do people think that Global warming could be ended abruptly or is possible to reverse the problem in a matter of years? It hasn't even kicked into gear yet. That's still about 20 years out. Even the Koch brothers and oil companies are changing their stories.

 

[SBrown]

Ok, that will be enough about the political side of global warming. Thank you. /admin hat off

I think this is my fault: I got a flat tire in late September, and just decided to put the snows on then rather than deal with new non-winter tires yet. It subsequently turned hot and dry. My apologies.

 

[Ron]

but i had my snows on a day earlier than you so it has to be me.... but i'm still looking for someone to take my bourbon bet. Oh, and its for a bottle of blantons.....

 

[SBrown]

but i had my snows on a day earlier than you so it has to be me.... but i'm still looking for someone to take my bourbon bet. Oh, and its for a bottle of blantons.....

No, you got them on a day before @SkiNurse, I'm pretty sure. Remember, she's sweeter than I am!

 

[Ron]

ahhhh, yes true

 

[coskigirl]

It's certainly not my fault, snows are still sitting in the garage.

 

[SkiNurse]

No, you got them on a day before @SkiNurse, I'm pretty sure. Remember, she's sweeter than I am!

ahhhh, yes true

 

[nay]

but i had my snows on a day earlier than you so it has to be me.... but i'm still looking for someone to take my bourbon bet. Oh, and its for a bottle of blantons.....

Ok, so what qualifies as "fine" and in what part of the state?

 

[nay]

We're about to lose the "it's only October" feel better response.

"For the later days, Wednesday through Saturday, a weak upper trough is progged to push across the CWA Wednesday. After that, an upper ridge is over the CWA into the weekend. The ECMWF even has a 5900 meter 500 mb High over the northeastern corner of Colorado Friday morning at 12Z. After some minor pops Wednesday morning early, it will be quite dry into the weekend. Temperatures will stay above normal."

For you non weather geeks, that bolded part is the type of strong, hot, summer dome of high pressure we might expect in July.

There will be 2-3 nights of cooler nighttime temps early on the week - I'm hoping Loveland will get open. I'm down with lapping chair one for a couple of weeks.

 

[Ron]

still time to take the bet!

 

[nay]

See my post 2 above

 

[Ron]

Fine? Well I mentioned Blantons but Wyoming is good, feisty is really good &. Stranahans work s too.

 

[Core2]

I am still blaming Ron's snow stake for this weather.

 

[Ron]

http://opensnow.com/dailysnow/colorado/post/6193

 

[babanff]

@Ron Not only am I not taking your bet (I don't like bourbon anyways, blasphemy) but I am standing by an assertion I made last December that SB will have a 400"+ winter this year. And to make you feel better, the jinx of putting that in writing is heavily overcome by the jinx I put on myself by moving away.