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4 Storms Left for Alta Before Closure

By April 11, 2023No Comments

Posted April 11, 6:53 am MT 5:53 am PT

Sunshine Village Canada

Snow Stake Cams

MSLP Surface Chart thru Apr 15

All Snow GFS

Forecast Discussion

Heavy snow today in the Pacific Northwest, especially in the southern Cascades today, as the cold part of the storm is engaged.  Mt Hood Timberline has been the favored side of Mt Hood this year, but this storm is a little different.  It is more of what we have seen the last few years, so Meadows may be the spot to be today.  Either way, I expect 6-12 throughout the day today with some another 3-5 after the lifts close.  

Cottonwood Canyon continues to moderate its open times.  It is closed daily from 11 am to 4 pm for avalanche mitigation.  Little Cottonwood Canyon is closed with no estimated opening.  

Alta 23 inches to 900

4 storms before closing date, Storms 80,83, 86 and 89

Storm 80 It will be warm again today in Utah.  Temperatures will rise into the low 50’s with moderate winds before the cold front hits sometime tonight.  That will drop temperatures into the mid 20’s.  The bulk of the precipitation will fall between midnight and noon Thursday.  This is not a big storm and the models continue to show .3 to .5 inches of liquid, meaning about 4-8 inches of snow at 15:1.  This correlates with the existing data from the previous 4 cycles for Alta.  Cycle 1:  light rain, Cycle 2:  8″, Cycle 3:  3″, and Cycle 4:  5″.  

Storm 83 and 86 Storm 83 and 86 are connected and are a two-wave storm.  They are a part of a huge low-pressure system that will develop in the Gulf of Alaska in the coming days.  If both waves of this storm come through, we should get to within single digits for the last storm. All bets are off, this time of year due to the changing jet stream, so lets hope it hits.

Storm 89

I have this storm hitting on Monday, but it will most likely hit on Alta’s last day.  I use averaging when making the long-range forecast, based on the storm’s history.  This storm has been a “tweener” meaning it has hit a day early and a day late from cycle to cycle.  It is a big storm so there will be at least 2-3 days of precipitation.  With luck we will still have cold air in place.  Could the 900 mark come down to the last day?

Colorado Forecast Tomorrow

Alta Discussion

Thanks for reading the blog, as always if you have any questions feel free to comment below, or send me an email to Mike@FutureSnow.CO

Forecasted Areas

Pacific Northwest Cascade Mountains

Crystal MountainMount Hood MeadowsTimberline49 Degrees North,  BachelorMt Baker,

Lake Tahoe Sierra Mountains

HeavenlyPalisades TahoeKirkwoodDodge RidgeDonner Ski Ranch

Utah Wasatch Mountains

AltaPark CityDeer ValleyBrightonSnowbirdBrian Head

Colorado Rocky Mountains

AspenAspen HighlandsSnowmassVailBeaver Creek,  Winter ParkKeystoneArapahoe BasinBreckenridgeCopper MountainPowderhornSki CooperTellurideCrested ButteSilvertonWolf CreekEldoraLoveland

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