Hey Sky (and others), be careful what you wish for!@#$%! <br><br>Medium-range models are starting to show hints of a developing Pineapple Express on days 6-7 (i.e. Jan 18-19), as the jet stream overhead shifts from a northwesterly to a southwesterly direction and taps into warm subtropical moisture far out in the Pacific. Current projections show 5-7" of precip and lowland temps in the 50s F (= freezing levels of 6000-8000 ft). We've had an abnormally large number of PE's in WA and OR so far this season, we definitely don't need another. I'm sure hoping that this model projection doesn't pan out (or at least ends up colder).<br><br>Plus, there are MUCH better ways to get rid of surface and depth hoar than dumping 6" of rain on it. Like burying it under 10 ft of snow, so that the added weight crushes the faceted crystals and the increased insulation of the deep snow allows so-called equitemperature metamorphism to work its magic, rounding the grains and slowly strengthening (or eliminating) the weak layer. If you're gonna have a party, you might as well pray for a huge cycle of repeated cold cutoff lows like the ones which just finished dumping 15-20 ft of snow on the Sierra, except this time have them parked about 500 miles farther north near Vancouver Island. <br><br>
