Wassup w/ Rain in Jan?

[windzup]

I think my plane delivered me to the wrong city. I leave France during an epic storm that was dumping feet of snow and almost stranded us there. I come back in the dark, drive to Skyline early, and the damn place is raining at 10,000 feet.

Maybe we should get Al Gore to stop chasing the man-bear-pig and get him back on the G-warm thang. Although checking with the Farmers Almanac, it does call for a warm moist winter in the SW US.

The snow is still thick, but ya'll know how water affects surface conditions. Temps look warm for a couple days with a chance of cooling later this weekend, perhaps redemption will come... I just want to know which of you kitesurfers out there have been praying for summer?

Has anyone that has skied in Utah all their life ever remember rain at high elevations this deep into a Utah winter? Maybe its all just cycles and we have a bad one.

Windzup,
Brian Schenck

[Augie]

I recall a wihnter about 15 years ago when it rained in early Feb. The storm cycle started out with rain then snow and then rain again.Pow Mow road had several slides and it was so hazardous the road crew bailed for 2 days and stranded about 100 skiers at Pow Mow. The road slid in places where it sheared off 3 and 4 foot diameter pine trees right at the base. Some of the slides were in places that due to the tree size, obviously hadn't slid in hundreds of years.The resort was closed for 4 days and when it reopened even the mogul runs were smooth and bulletproof. I made the first run down Exterminator and when I turned to check my tracks, there were none. It snowed 5 feet in 4 days but no powder.

[Steven Nyhus]

Probably about 15 years ago I was working teaching skiing at Park City and we had a couple of days of heavy rain in Jan. or early Feb. that created a small lake down where the Payday chair is. I remember because we had an Impromptu slush cup and someone put a shark fin in it. I also have pictures of someone with a fishing pole and skis on. It seems to happen often that we get a Jan. thaw. It will get cold and snow again though.

[windzup]

Rain went away and turned to powder above 9000 feet. Skyline parking lot was being plowed when I arrived this morning. 1 foot of fresh untracked snow. wind was just coming on. Afternoon could be epic if it clears out more. low vis at mp 14 and clear skies at the reserves.

Guess I wined about the rain too soon. The snow is perfect now. But you brought up a good point...evil avy danger could abound.

Windzup,
Brian Schenck