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Lake Effect Suprise at Snowbasin

By March 27, 2023No Comments

Posted March 27, 6:11 am MT 5:11 am PT

Snow Stake Cams

MSLP Surface Chart

GFS All Snow

Forecast Discussion

What a surprise today at Snowbasin.  Lake effect snow has had a dramatic effect on the small wave passing through.  They received 10 yesterday and 22 overnight!  Everywhere else it was pretty much as expected.  Alta had 6, Park city 5, Brighton 8, Deer Valley 3, Snowbird 3 and Solitude 6.  On the Colorado side, Powderhorn is the winner with 9, Steamboat 5, Beaver Creek 4, Vail 3, Crested Butte 3 and Telluride 2.

The storm moves out of Utah by noon and Colorado by early afternoon.  Expect scattered snow showers today with additional accumulations in the 2-4 to 3-5 range for Utah and 1-3 to 2-4 range for Colorado.  

The next system is spinning off the coast of California and will move into the Tahoe area Tomorrow morning, bringing heavy snow and high winds with 1-2 feet likely for the areas along the crest, but all resorts will see double digit totals by Wednesday morning.  Strong winds will be back, with 40-50 mph gusts at base level and upper mountain winds in the 70’s.  

Forecast

Lake Tahoe

 

Today

Bluebird skies today with light winds between 5-15 mph.  Tonight, scattered snow showers as the front approaches.  Minor amounts expected.

Tomorrow

Storm arrives early, around 8 am.  Heavy snow with strong winds, with gusts around 40 mph at base level and in the 70’s at ridgetop.  Temperatures will be in the low to mid 30’s with upper mountain temps in the upper 20’s.  

Wednesday

Snow continues through the day but not a heavy.  Temperatures in the low 30’s at base level and in the mid to low 20’s at the peak.  Windis will be much lighter, between 15-20 with gusts around the mid 30’s.  Upper mountain wind gust in the mid 40’s.

 

Utah

Today

Scattered snow showers today with light winds between 5-10 mph.  Expect 2-4 or 3-5 throughout the day with more possible for Snowbasin as the wind direction is still favorable for lake-effect snow.

Tuesday

Bluebird day with moderate winds between 15-20 mph.  

Wednesday

Next system arrives between mid-morning and noon.  Heavy snow expected with totals in the 4-8 range before the lifts close, 

Colorado

Today 

Scattered snow showers today, mainly in the morning.  Temperatures in the low 20’s with light wind between 10-15 mph.

Tuesday thru Wednesday Night

Sunny and warm with temps Tuesday in the upper 30’s and low 40’s by Wednesday.  Next system moves in Colorado on Thursday.

Colorado Calendars thru May

 

Utah Calendar To Date (April Calendar Tomorrow)

Tahoe Calendar

Below is the Lake Tahoe Calendar we published back on February 2nd.  I have gone back and took a look at the calendars to see how we have done.  The green squares are on the Long-Range Forecast prediction chart.  Yellow squares are storms that have hit at least one cycle.  Red Circles and X’s are misses and the Blue brackets are storms that have hit at within one day.

I am really happy with this calendar.  We have tried to figure out the Lake, as it is on a different type of cycle, due to its location away from the general pattern jet stream.  We are improving, the patent pending model has made forecasting Lake Tahoe easier.  

Long-Range Forecast Predictions are out thru April

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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