The Scene at Northstar - at our daily Snow Surfaces meeting, the General Manager, Head of Mountain Ops and Ski Patrol rallied the call - keep those lifts running: our mantra, our crusade, our reason for being. Conditions are changing rapidly. Check snow conditions, lift status, live road cams and all possible Internet information to understand conditions throughout the Sierra Nevada.
Weather Update from The Man - B.A.
"The storm still looks exactly the same as it did over a week ago. There are a lot of details that need to be looked at though, that will affect who gets what in terms of total snowfall. Temps dropped sooner than we expected this morning, so we are now looking at 4-5 feet at Northstar-at-Tahoe by Saturday morning alone, never-mind what we get out of more storms the rest of the week.
The quicker this falls and the longer it snows vs. wet/grapple will make a huge difference in snowfall amounts. Above 7000 ft. it should snow 15-20 inches by evening. Don't be surprised if the Weather Channel is showing live shots of grapple/snow at Village level until Friday mid day, unless they take the gondola up the hill. Places above 7000 feet will get a couple more inches as the crest gets up to another 2-3 ft. by Friday evening. During the night, add on another few feet for upwards of 4-5 feet by morning.
Big Problem with this storm will be the winds. We are currently under a Blizzard Warning from Friday into Saturday. A blizzard is defined as more than 3 hours of less than 1/4 visibility, winds sustained over 35 mph, and heavy snow. Driving through open areas will be like driving through a sand blaster and the roads will continuously have snow blown back on them as it snows.
Very High Snowfall Rate - 6 inches per hour forecast.
Overnight Friday snowfall rates could be as much as 6 inches per hour on the crest and several inches per hour in the Truckee area. Another 2-3 feet should fall overnight and into Saturday morning that is 3-5 feet total above 7000 by then. At lake level 1-2 feet should fall overnight Friday into Saturday. There should be a break with light snow showers Saturday before another system comes in Sat. night and another Sun. night that will enhance the snow showers. READ: Saturday could be the ski/ride of your life. Understand DEEP SNOW tips and don't waste money on day passes this winter, buy a Double Whammy now. This will be cold fluffy snow and will pile up faster. It is hard to to say how much more snow falls. It depends where you are, and how long the snow showers last into Monday. They may continue off and on into Wed. with a few more inches of accumulation before finally ending. Total snow up on the crest should be 8+ ft. Above 7000, like on top on Northstar, should be close to 6+ ft. At lake level it should be 2-4 feet by the time this is all said and done. Depending on how long the post-frontal snow showers last, these numbers could be a little less or a little more.
Stay safe and have fun!"
Thanks B.A.! and thanks to all of you who emailed and commented about VIDEO you want to see on the home page. We hope to be doing several updates throughout the day. Please stay tuned and keep on commenting - we know you're out there!
Strange Sights in the Past 24 Hours: Snowkiters whipping across Martis Valley, locals staring at the ridgeline...like it's a giant swell on Oahu's north shore. People, Mother Nature is Unleashing. Will report back later.
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