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Feb 5- Dry first, rain next… snow levels drop. February hope.

  • Writer: Andrea Hamilton
    Andrea Hamilton
  • 4 days ago
  • 5 min read

Hello Skiers and Snowboarders,


Short-Term Forecast

Friday through early Saturday, we will remain under a ridge of high pressure, so dry conditions and high snow levels will continue.


Saturday, an area of low pressure will slowly move in to bring rain starting late morning and more likely on Saturday afternoon. Expect rain for the afternoon for the lower and mid-slopes. However, mid-slopes will get some light snow for the evening. Upper slopes can expect some heavy snow late in the day and evening.


Sunday, snow levels will slowly drop to eventually give us light snow for the lower slopes in the afternoon.


Monday, light snow will continue for all of our slopes.


Snow and Weather Summary

  • Friday: Dry

  • Saturday: Rain for the afternoon. Mid-slopes 1 to 2" snow for the evening. Upper slopes up to 6" of snow late pm and evening.

  • Sunday: 1 to 2"

  • Monday 1 to 2"


Slopes: Elevation General Guidelines

  • Lower Slopes - Under 4000'

  • Mid-Slopes - 4000 to 5500'

  • Upper-Slopes - Above 5500'

Extended Outlook: Tues. Feb. 10 to Thurs. Feb. 12 and beyond


  • Tuesday through Thursday, snow levels should be in the 3000 to 4000' range, and chances of light snow 1 to 2" on Tuesday.

  • Dry for Wednesday and Thursday.

  • Friday, forecast models suggest up to 10" of snow, with snow levels at 2000 to 3000'.

This is certainly an extended outlook, so we really need to temper that, as forecast models can change.


I have high confidence that we are looking at a colder pattern for February 10 through February 15. The second map reflects that with both the European and the U.S. forecast models agreeing on the cooler pattern over this period. These forecast models often are not in agreement, so this is encouraging for the cooler pattern.



The map on the left is the European forecast model, and the one on the right is the U.S forecast model. The maps are for conditions at 18,000'. The blue colors are areas of low pressure, and the red high pressure. Both models agree on the area of low pressure for the period February 10 to February 15. With low pressure, that would tend to bring us cooler conditions.



Michael Fagin

Meteorologist


P.S. Valentine's Day is Saturday, Feb 14th. Our sponsors have something for everyone. Gear, apparel, experiences, gift cards, and more.


P.P.S. Scroll down for Andrea's trip notes from this week in Sun Valley.


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Health & Wellness-


Food, Drink & Community-

  • The Hall. Sports Bar, family and dog friendly. Kirkland, Queen Anne and Occidental Hall by Lumen Field. Weekend Brunch in Kirkland, on Sat & Sun. Great food, beer, people and community.

  • Vertical Grind. Easy ordering from Amazon for your Snow-Loving friends. Adventure inspired: First Ascent, Open Road, and Switchback. Shop local.


Gear & Apparel-



Warmth & Essentials-

  • IGNIK Outdoors. New RIPPLES rechargeable hand warmers. Put these next to your heated socks and vest. Save 25% code: POWDER25. Propane camp stoves.


Travel, Safety & Resorts-



Meet the Oracle - Larry Schick in person.

Wed, Feb 18 from 6:00 - 9:00pm


Meet Larry in person at Queen Anne Beerhall on Wed, Feb 18 from 6:00-9:00pm

Free forecast discussion, Q&A, snow talk with friends, and a fun Après vibe.

Swag while it lasts. Family friendly and dogs ok too.

> Queen Anne Beerhall, 203 W. Thomas St., 1 block off Elliott Ave W.



RSVP so it’s on your calendar.




Sunday forecasts will usually go out in the afternoons during January and February, while I'm on snow teaching the next generation of skiers.


Thanks for reading.

Andrea


➡️ Who has the snow? OpenSnow.com (sort by snow depth). Or just book a trip to Japan.

➡️ Powder Poobah Resources: NWAC, WSDOT, chains, goggle lens, and more.

➡️ List of resorts with webcam links. Check websites for operations updates.



Sun Valley field report: Day five of five. Lots of groomers and manufactured snow but we did find a fun patch of bumps on French Dip over at Frenchman's chair. I'm a new user of the Carv "wearable ski coach and it's been a great place to see how it works.


My skinny Stockli Laser MX are the perfect ski for conditions. Demo these (or any Stockli) when you can. Sturtevant's Demo Days coming in March. Spreefest (Mar 7) at Summit West and Spring Fling at Stevens Pass on March 14th.


Seattle Ridge
Seattle Ridge

Cheers at the Duchin Room, I'm the short one with One-More-Run-Chrissy my cousin-in-law. Dinner at The Pioneer, mountain lunches at Seattle Ridge and Warm Springs. Today lunch at The Roundhouse we honor our skier family and friends who are forever on our chairlift with a toast of Veuve Clicquot Rosé.


Too many favorite runs to list. We skied as much of the mountain as we could- based on conditions.


Huge thanks to my cousin Louise Sullivan Sportelli (in red) — our Chief Adventure Architect and Trip Wrangler. These trips don’t happen without her.


Thanks for reading.

Andrea (in pink)


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