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March 1- Sunny Monday. Why this La Niña didn’t deliver.

  • Mar 1
  • 5 min read

Hello Skiers and Snowboarders,


DAILY DOSE OF DAYDREAMS
DAILY DOSE OF DAYDREAMS

Short-Term Forecast


Monday will bring mostly sunny and mild weather for the afternoon. Then on Tuesday, a trough of low pressure will slowly move inland, spreading rain at first for the late morning and afternoon. Snow levels slowly drop during the afternoon and evening to bring some snow. The best chance of the snow will be for the mid to upper slopes. Models suggest 4 to 6" with the higher totals received for the upper slopes.


Wednesday snow levels continue to drop, so the lower slopes will get some snow, but with higher snow totals for the mid to upper slopes. Expecting 4 to 8" for the day. Please check out the extended outlook.

Snow and Weather Summary

  • Monday: Sunny after morning clouds.

  • Tuesday:

  • Wednesday:

Extended Outlook: Thursday, March 5 to Saturday, March 7


Thursday, expect additional snow for all slopes, so that is great news with snow levels close to 3000'.


On Friday and Saturday, we will have some warming, so any precipitation would bring limited snowfall, if any. The map reflects that. Next update will be on Thursday, March 5.


Slopes: Elevation General Guidelines


  • Lower Slopes - Under 400

  • Mid-Slopes - 4000 to 5500'

  • Upper-Slopes - Above 5500'

Interior B.C Resorts


Many of the Interior B.C. resorts are located in the Upper Columbia Basin. This basin's snowpack remains at 89% of average as of February 28. Some resorts are above 89%. The Upper Columbia Basin snowpack is certainly much higher than the resorts in Washington and Oregon.


Check out some of the Interior B.C. resorts. Links to webcams, trail maps, and dining. Read more





Why Was the Seasonal Winter Forecast Wrong


I asked Larry O'Neill, the State Climatologist of Oregon. Here is his answer.


"The short answer is that the wet/cool outcome in the Pacific Northwest normally associated with La Niña winters often fails during weak and short-lived La Niñas, specifically those like this year that transition back into a neutral state during mid-winter.


During these types of years, the influence of the tropics on the atmosphere was insufficient to anchor our jet stream in the normal La Niña pattern. 


Instead, in November and December, we had these broad open troughs further west than normal in the Pacific for extended periods, which brought warm, subtropical air into the Pacific Northwest. Once January came, we transitioned into a period with intense and persistent ridging in the northwest Pacific and the Pacific Northwest that kept higher elevations much warmer than normal.


This pattern and its persistence were more associated with the "polar vortex" back east, which essentially stalled the normal movement of weather systems across North America. These types of events are normal but are typically shorter in duration; this event was unusual in how much longer it lasted than normal. It is noteworthy that we also experienced something similar last January, but it was much cooler than what we experienced this year.


Finally, climate change likely contributed to some of the excessive warmth, given that it is the continuation of a long term trend of warmer winters. Even so, we cannot say definitely that this is entirely a signal of climate change."


Michael Fagin

Meteorologist


Last Call! Send your pics by Monday night.

We’ve received some great photo entries — and your odds are still very good.


Win 4 lift tickets to 49° Degrees North. One winner takes all.



How to enter:

• Just reply to this email with one *photo of your favorite moment on snow — any mountain, this season or throwback. info@powderpoobah.com

• Include your name + FB or IG account (if you have one).

• Optional: tell us what you love doing when you're not on the mountain.


Send your photo by Monday, March 2 at 10pm.


Winner selected by the Powder Poobah team. Winner will be contacted by email and announced in the Powder Alert on March 5. Prize tickets available at 49° Will Call.


*By submitting your photo, Powder Poobah + 49° Degrees North may share your image, with credit. Tickets are for the current 2026 season. No cash value. No returns or exchanges.



Sturtevant’s Ski-Ya-Later Sale



Shop the Progressive Sale in-store, March 6 – 29


Our biggest sale of the season is back. Shop the Ski-Ya-Later Sale and score great deals on your favorite ski and snowboard brands. 





This year marks the 29th annual Outdoors for All Spreefest. All attendees, vendors, demo reps, and volunteers will receive a voucher for free parking.



Demo Sponsor: Sturtevant's.


Demos Provided by: Arbor, Armada, Atomic, Bent Metal, Dalbello Boots, Elan Skis, Garden Snowboards, Gnu, Icelantic Skis, Jones Snowboards, K2, Lib Tech, LINE, Marker, Nitro Snowboards, Salomon, Season Eqpt, Stockli, Volkl Skis.


Schedule changes while the team is traveling:

• Thursday, March 5

• Saturday, March 7

• Wednesday, March 11


Then we return to our regular Sunday and Thursday schedule.



Thanks for reading.

Andrea

We have the best sponsors!


All of our sponsors are Poobah-verified — places we shop, brands we trust, and gear we actually use.


Travel, Safety & Resorts-


Gear & Apparel-



Warmth & Essentials-

  • IGNIK Outdoors. New RIPPLES rechargeable hand warmers. Snow sports, hiking, camping, and bike riding. Save 25% code: POWDER25. Propane camp stoves.

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. Family and dog friendly.

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


Health & Wellness-


➡️ Who has the snow? OpenSnow.com (sort by snow depth).

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







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