Photo: Kirkwood
We asked for it. And we’ve certainly received, in the form of snow of all varieties: dry snow, wet snow, deep snow. We’ve been pounded with it–as in the whole of the Western United States. All winter long. Snowpack estimates in California are at some 180 percent of normal in many parts of the Sierra. The Pacific Northwest is having a similar winter. But resorts seem to be crying “uncle.”
In the last week at least a dozen have been closed, including the iconic Jackson Hole and Sun Valley–places that obviously need a lot of snow for full coverage. Most of the Tahoe Resorts were closed, with Kirkwood getting some nine feet in the last week. Squaw Valley, like Jackson Hole, was experiencing power outages from the storm, forcing its closure. With another foot expected in the mountains of Northern California, Oregon and Washington by Friday, calling the winter “epic” is now a massive understatement. More like biblical.
Thanks to rain and heavy, wet conditions, most of Idaho was placed under a massive avalanche warning. Bald Mountain was closed after the Sawtooth Avalanche Center issued the extreme warning. Nearby Pomerelle and Soldier Mountain also closed due to the dangerous, slabby conditions.
“This is somewhat rare for Bald Mountain to be closed,” said Sun Valley’s Kelli Lusk. “Sometimes we have a one- to two-hour delay for early-morning avalanche mitigation, but this is a unique snow situation with the heavy snowfall, freezing rain and higher temperatures.”
Freakin’ Murphy’s Law never fails.
