A Winter Forcaster?

[Sarah Ranes]

Would it be possible to get someone from the Kite Team, to take on winter forcasts for snowkiting? ( A winter version of Craig G) I know he has large shoes to fill, but I know some of the kiters are doing the weather research anyway. DO WE HAVE ANY VOLANTEERS? Or NOMINATIONS?

I think this could be very useful to beginning and seasoned snowkiters, and may help them decide on where to head for the day. I know Craigs forcaste helped many decide where to sail/kite, for the day, and probably saved some fuel too.

Brian and Heather did a good job for Skyline last winter, and others posted once in a while for Park City and Strawberry. It would be great to see it every day thru the winter too!

[Jacob Buzianis]

If someone volunteer to do the Utah snowkiting forecasting for 150 days this Winter, l will give you a Brand new Bularoo and possiblity a brand new snowkiteboard.

Must be able to forecast for Skyline, Park City, Strawberry, and Powder Mt.

[windzup]

Good idea Sarah..big shoes for sure.
Count me in... I do it for my personal riding anyway. I can give a daily visual report of Skyline, along with a physical riding/wind/depth report.

I've been compiling weather sites and info in Utah since 2001. I don't have it dialed and I can be as wrong as any weather man. I am no Craig or Chasta, but I wish I was.

Billy might be the man for predicting Strawbs? And it may be good to have a local man on the scene for each spot, as winter weather can be very localized.

If I get the Bularoo and board.... can I sell them on ebay?

Also a new online tool that has taken the paragliding world over for forecasting.... http://www.xcskies.com ... the web designer is looking to increase info on the site to also be more kite specific with surface wind reports. He has basically combined complex weather tools/reports into an easy to use format.

Windzup,
Brian Schenck

[RickHeninger]

Brian,

If you email me the best links, we can post SnowKiting weather stations on the weather page.
Great idea Sarah.

By the way... When Craig's out of town or not forecasting I've used the link below and had pretty good luck with it. I'd say 85% non skunk rate, maybe higher. In fact, I'll put a post of this link with the "More Generic Weather" area on the weather page.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/wxtables/?wfo=slc

Rick.

[Jacob Buzianis]

Brian,

You can do whatever you want with the kite and board as long as you do 150 days of forecasting first for all four area daily.

[Craig Goudie]

I see Rick volunteered to add some links for snow kiting. Perhaps we could collect them all here in this thread,
for the next week or 2, and I could add them all to the weather page at once, yes?

p.s. Rick, if you really are 85% with that 1 link, you and it have a better rate than I had last year.

p.p.s. I'm constantly amazed at how often Marty knows where and when to Snow Kite.

-Craig

[Mark Johnson]

I can do the forcasting for 150 days for a new kite and possibly a board. I will probably be wrong most of the time. Does this matter?

[Jacob Buzianis]

Mark, It only matter that you did the best you could and you did a daily forecast report.

Nobody is going to be 100%. Even the best weatherman probably got close to 90% right. Last year, I only got about 70% right with wind.

let us know if you are up for it.

[bordy]

I forcast it will be windy and snowy all winter long! As a matter of fact for the next 150 days we should all expect nice conditions to fly a kite at one of the above mentioned locations! Thats my winter forcast. Kite or no kite I bet I am right most of the time!

I also forcast UT locals Killing it for 150+ days in the freash nar!

I also forcast more snowkiters this year then ever before,

I also forcast a whole new bunch of tricks getting stomped at the straw,

oh yea and I forcast more core windsurfers jonesing for wind then part time kiters, My formula board just does not have the right fin for pow......etc....

Yea free kite and board for me!!!! please give it to any jonesing windsurfer that rode more days locally this summer then me........

[windzup]

I can't do it for all the areas... I'll be too busy shredding Utah Pow Pow... and once I see enough at Skyline I'll bury myself into a Snow cave there. What I love most about Skyline is there is No internet and No cell phone... one hidden little island of escape in a digital world. So without the technology to send forecasts while kiting... I'll have to concede like McCain.

So How's a bout creating a Snowkite weather forecast thread.. and 3-5 people can each drop their feelings for the conditions at the spots they frequent the most. It won't be an ominous single voice of power like Craig's, but Snowkiting is still in its infancy and we are all still trying to dial in locations and their specific weather phenomenons. Unlike the water locations that have been windsurfed for double decades, we just don't have a clue without the Noaa point and click forecast tool. (which is super reliable BTW)

Also... we SHOULD include Avalanche Forecasts! or just link to the experts at http://www.utahavalanchecenter.org

Windzup,
Brian Schenck

And I'll buy a lollipop for whoever is more accurate of the 150 days... suck on that (he he he he)

[Jason Klein]

This is a little bit off topic, but there is a webcam near the 40/248 intersection at Quinns. you can find the webcam here: http://www.utahcommuterlink.com/ie.htm You have to select the "Park City" button near the upper left and then select the webcam from the map.

I'm planning to plant 2 flags (the camera points either north or south) in the camera's view, and we'll be able to see how the wind is blowing real time. Not really a forcast tool, but we'll be able to check the wind before leaving the house.

[Jacob Buzianis]

Wow, Billy

Did you just get back from a time machine trip from the future? Or you just had some good stuff at home? That's Great News! Let's hope you are right.

I'm forecasting you are going to stomp more tricks then last year.

[RickHeninger]

I see Rick volunteered to add some links for snow kiting. Perhaps we could collect them all here in this thread,
for the next week or 2, and I could add them all to the weather page at once, yes?

p.s. Rick, if you really are 85% with that 1 link, you and it have a better rate than I had last year.

p.p.s. I'm constantly amazed at how often Marty knows where and when to Snow Kite.

-Craig

Craig,

I kind of hate to say it but I don't remember getting a real skunk this year in Utah, however, that has to do with the fact that I've been on the DL twice and this year, I'm not proud of it, but I didn't go out unless it was a sure thing of which their wasn't much this summer... So, I think that my high percentage this year has to do with my low data number, unfortunately! (The outlier was the SC campout)... But that link has been pretty accurate as I've been watching it.

I don't know if I buy that you had a low percentage in the last 4 years!

[Josh Shirley]

Rick I was going to dis you for not windsurfing very much this year but you stole my thunder. You need at least 30 times to be the very smallest statistical analysis.

How about a separate weather page for winter forecasts? make the goal of the page faster access to snow kite specific sites. Just a thought.

Also the dedicated forecaster should use the forecast forum; I am probably stating the obvious. And as a reminder every snowkiter should set up a forum subscription, which will email automatically when a forecast is made. Have it sent to your phone or just your regular email account. Even if you can't go out it is nice to know what is happening.

A daily or weekly site update would be good too. As part of the overall conditions report.

[Marty Lowe]

p.p.s. I'm constantly amazed at how often Marty knows where and when to Snow Kite.
-Craig

WOW--what an edorsement from the master..

I am pretty confident in winter forecasting..

Powder Mountain
Monte Cristo
High Uintahs (sled Access)
Sulphur
Rush
Strawbs
Skyline

but I don't know PC area.

I believe most locals can do just as good, if not better.

Utah is becoming a world class snowkiting destination,
and I agree that newbees and non locals could use our help.

( another post about this subject)
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4661

I would entertain the idea of posting forecasts if I could get some help.

I propose that if I could get texts or emails from Brian, Billy, Kenny, Jake (others)
on thier recomendation in the mornings, that I would post a combined forecast.
That would take the pressure of any one person to be responsible.
On the days I'm out of town, we would arrange for one of these other forecasters to post.

What do you think?

-Marty