Nov 9- Snow Chances Building — Larry likes it!

Andrea Hamilton
40 minutes ago
4 min read

Hello NW skiers and snowboarders,

An active weather pattern continues this week, but we are still struggling with occasional moderate to high snow levels. Actually, the snow levels have been low enough for abundant snow in the mid to high elevations. It’s the base elevation snowpack which is a concern, with patchy snow or no snow.

Again, that scarcity of a low elevation snowpack is not uncommon for early November – typically it’s much worse. Remember in 2022 it was top to bottom no snow whatsoever in all NW areas until mid-December. So, we are looking very good this year, so far!

Today: Whistler Roundhouse 6,000ft elevation. I’ve skied there with far less snow than this, in early Dec 2022.

A storm on Monday will bring with it a snow level above 7,000 ft. That is near or above the highest upper slopes. That means not much new snow. However, by Tuesday morning, the snow levels drop to 4,500 ft so expect a little new snow (trace - 2”) on the moderate to upper slopes mainly Whistler, Baker, Stevens.

Later Wednesday to early Friday a new storm moves in with cooler temperatures.
Expect widespread Cascade snowfall on most slopes with 3-10” new as the snowpack continues to build.
Ya gotta like it.
But some of the very low slopes (<3,500ft) will remain with a rain snow mix, despite the cooler temperature trend.
There will be more snowfall over next weekend and I’ll have an update on that either Friday or Saturday.

We are on the final approach to Thanksgiving weekend, and I remain confident there will be skiing.

I see enough snow already in the mid-upper skiable terrain at Whistler, Crystal, White and Mt Baker. When the pack gets deep enough (>2ft) even a warm Pineapple Express (atmospheric river) can’t melt it all way. While any short-lived warm storms tend to consolidate the snow pack, creating a solid base for the season ahead.

🍍BTW – A Pineapple Express is not a 15-dollar train ride through the pineapple fields near Honolulu. Nor is it a Seth Rogen comedy, stoner movie. 😉 But in the world of weather, it’s a type of atmospheric river which has origins near Hawaii.

Atmospheric rivers occur in the mid-latitudes all over the world, but are most frequent and arguably strongest here on the West Coast of the U.S. They are important in the worldwide distribution of water around the globe. Strong ones are the cause of many major floods, while lack of ARs cause drought. Many people ask me if it’s a new term to hype up the weather. The term was first coined in 1990’s by two MIT scientists but took off in usage in the last 20 years due to improved satellite observations and understanding how they worked.

Want to know more? Here's a one-minute video I wrote and produced for UCSD Scrips called “What is an atmospheric river?" Here's the link or click on the image.

Below: Example of AR narrow, long fire hose of water vapor and rainfall hitting California. Not a current satellite image.

Snow season 2025-26 is just around the corner. Get yourself, gear and car ready to go. Next update, end of the week.

Best to all. Write soon and a lot. Tell your dog I said "hi."

Your Grand Poobah,

Larry Schick, Meteorologist

P.S. Don’t miss:

Sponsor Shoutouts — be ready for winter. Start thinking holiday gift giving.
ZOOM with Larry! Wed, Nov 19th at 7:00pm. Register below.
NEW, text notification option 📱

Sponsor Announcements (They help keep the Powder Alert free)

Alpine Physical Therapy. Our go-to PTs (they fixed up Larry)! PNW skiers and experts in outpatient orthopedic and neurological rehab and sports medicine.

The Hall. Sports bar and family friendly. Occidental Hall near Lumen Field, Queen Anne Beerhall, Moss Bay Hall in Kirkland. Great food, beer, people and community. Events list

Vertical Grind. Give the gift of coffee to your Snow-Loving friends. Adventure inspired coffee. First Ascent, Open Road, and Switchback. Locally owned by Powder People!

XEVO Optics.. Save 50% use code: powderpoobah. Shop online, choose model, lens, and strap. Shipped from Washington.

ZEEKS Pizza - Roll into winter with Zekes Pizza. Stop by Issaquah Highlands. Lots of locations, 25! Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellingham. Plan a Pizza Party at your fav location.

Proliance Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine. Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond, and Seattle. Comprehensive care from injury to rehabilitation.

Sturtevant's in Bellevue. Ready-Set-Snow event thru Nov 9th. Get your gear ready, do the boot fitting and visit the tune shop. Get your pre-season checklist

AAA of Washington. There’s no “one size fits all” here. We offer different levels of membership. As a member have you ever browsed the Perks? Last season, I looked for the first time.

Silver Mountain Resort. Do you know about the Water Park? Check out their deals, pass perks, and trail maps. Kellogg, Idaho. Save on winter lodging.

49 Degrees North. Buy your season pass. Details here . Plan your visit. Chewelah, WA. Read my trip notes here. An hour north of Spokane.

Crystal Mountain Resort.. Available now: Day tickets. Coming Oct 23rd: rentals and lessons. Plan your trip. Check the deals, because it's going to be Winter soon!

Crystal Mountain Hotels. Book now. Stay slopeside in one of their three hotels, an easy walk to the gondola. Includes parking. Dog-friendly.

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Woolly Clothing. Save 20% use code: powderpoobah. Seattle. Shop online, the best merino wool clothing for year-round outdoorsy living and stylish around town-wear.