Nov 19, 2009 Crystal Mtn

I left about 2:30... It was heavy cold rain at the base.... I was already pretty soaked.

Just heard on the news that cold weather should be rolling in. That should be interesting. Will we get some dry pow or will it just freeze up?

This just great to get this snow dump before T-Day!

Glad the day panned out well for all. As detailed snow pack was heavy in places and most defiantly wind affected, particularly on southern exposures. I triggered several 1/2 meter releases on Miners Basin that ran 10 to 20 meters, a little spooky at times. Run of the day was after lunch, TLC to Chair 4, snow was so heavy I had to pole down ! As of 6pm it is cooling in B lot but still light rain. Tomorrow should rock, this week has significantly improved the base. Rumor has it Short North and South will open for the weekend.

I'd think that the warm up with rain fall will make for good consolidation of the snowpack, perhaps lessen avalanche danger in the BC by way of the  freeze cycle.  Especially with it being so early in the season where the snow pack is low...

snow was so heavy I had to pole down !

Yeah, and at one point in the deeper stuff I looked down and my pole looked like a giant turkey drum as the snow kept accumulating on the pole, but not coming off.

But as others can attest to, that was only the case at the bottom. The upper mountain was fresh goods all morning until 1 when we had to leave.

Hoping for some fun groomers Sunday when I bring the kids... they're busy doing snow dances at the moment.

 
Just heard on the news that cold weather should be rolling in.  That should be interesting.   Will we get some dry pow or will it just freeze up?

I was just discussing this very issue with Snow Bell on the phone and I did a poor job of explaining my"theory". He only gave me 3/10 for giving a convincing argument as to why the cool air will not freeze it all up solid but actually dry it out. Come to think about it I'm not very convinced myself. ???

So can somebody who actually has some sense please explain why wet snow sometimes dries out and sometimes freezes when we get cooler air. How do you predict?? I think it has to do with clear skies and long wave radiation and sublimation but Ding Dong wasn't convinced.