2009
January 2nd, 2009Posted in Skiing in the Tetons
The Teton Mountains welcomed in the Near Year the same way they said good bye to the old year- more high winds and driven snow. The winds were stronger on the west side of the range, so Grand Targhee had to shut down its upper mountain lifts. Luckily for Jackson skiers, the JHMR was able to open every lift over there (finally!) so skiers could look for pockets of undisturbed powder all over the mountain.
Cleaning up my computer yesterday I discovered a link to a website that reveals the annual and monthly snowfall totals for Driggs here in the bottom of the Teton Valley. I was surprised to learn that while last year saw nearly record snow fall in the Teton Mountains, Driggs didn’t get anywhere near a record amount. Last winter Driggs got 66.7″, which was a lot more than in the previous three years, but back in 1995, 96, and 97 we got 120″, 117″ and 184″. I remember those winters well and fondly. Snow was piled so high and deep the kids had a ball leaping off the roof. We had a new ski team coach from the Vermont who kept complaining, “Doesn’t it ever stop snowing around here?” Racing practice was impossible when there was 6 or more inches of new snow on the practice hill everyday.
Climatologists and meteorologists seem to have different perspectives on the weather. Meteorologists get all excited when a major weather event, i.e. a big snow storm, threatens. Climatologists get excited when historical trends change, inducing a real change in a location’s climate. So while last year was exciting for the local weather forecasters, and skiers, was it only a reversion back toward the mean, from a climatologist’s perspective?
2009 is starting off like last winter; slow to start accumulating snow, then BANG, storm after storm. The 7 day forecast this morning shows only snow, or a chance of snow for the next week, with no clear and sunny weather in sight. The powder skier in me hopes this winter exceeds last winter’s snow fall in both the mountains and in the valley too. Cliche alert! Only time will tell, because beyond 3 or 4 days, meteorology is still just guess work. I’ve got the time, and I eagerly await the tell.
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