Snow Conditions for X-mas Week

After 2 weeks of clear cold wether with development of surface hoar, followed by an ice storm, and now rising freezing levels and rainfall-anyone want to hazard a guss at the snowpack conditions for the holiday week coming up.<br><br>My guess is that rain trumps everything and that the ice and hoar has bonded well to the slab below. Surface conditions probably wont be too great. I'm hoping for a cold fromt to move in after this heat wave.

Juan, I would guess that the passes may have a lingering danger due to the ice crust that has formed there and any new snow that may be deposited on top. The Avalanche discussion today includes this possibility. The silver lining is that the east winds have preserved snowpack in the passes for the time being. In other places, like around Mt. Baker ski area, there is no hoar or crust left, and I would guess that the ski area will be closed, or suffering badly in the near future. Already 3" of rain has forced them to go to limited operation. If one of these storms doesn't turn out to be snow, mom may have to start over on the snowpack.

This is just depressing. Tons of time off work and no snow to play in ???<br>Looks as if my sacrifices to Ullr only bought us a couple weeks of the good stuff. Is no one else willing to carry the torch?<br>I'm out of skis to burn. All I have left is the good stuff.<br><br>One thing is for sure: the hoar is dead.

road trips

Mt Hood looks pretty decent....

Extended forecast discussion is not promising at the moment.