The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Storm totals could easily reach 8-10 feet
Who doesn’t love La Niña right now? The Pineapple Express is slamming the Elk Mountains with loads of snow, measured in feet. Indeed, as of Monday morning the ski area is reporting 26 inches over the last 48 hours and 144 inches year to date. And plenty more has fallen since. Up at Irwin, Monday’s snow report claimed 8” in the last 24 hours, and 206” so far this season.
It’s great for coverage and fresh tracks, however avalanche danger is high, and patrol has its hands full keeping the mountain safe. According to ski snow safety director Frank Coffey, “This is a very impressive and unusual storm.” Due to the avalanche danger, it will take some substantial control work before the extremes open.
Sure, after the foot or so of 4 percent density blower on Saturday, this recent snow is a little on the wet side. But think about the base that’s getting plastered onto the mountains. And it’s not over. Everyone’s favorite weatherman, Joel Gratz of www.coloradopowder.forecast.com, says there’s plenty more pow on the way.
“This storm is coming from the west-southwest, which is a perfect wind direction to funnel moisture into Crested Butte and Irwin,” he says. “Also, this flow from the west-southwest is lasting for 4-6 days, which is VERY rare. Usually this happens for a day – maybe two – but nearly a week of moisture and WSW flow can only mean big totals for the area.”
Big totals? The Weather Channel has declared Crested Butte one of America’s Top 10 snowiest cities. A meteorologist with the National Weather Service called ski area representatives Monday, and spoke of the “Perfect Storm” heading our way from Hawaii. It looks so “perfect” the meteorologists were apparently ogling over the radar images, according to CBMR’s Daren Cole.
Even NOAA is upping the ante on its forecast for this area, throwing in a Winter Storm Warning on Monday that uses the word “epic.” This from NOAA: “Potential impacts include extended periods of road closures…including primary and secondary roads. Cities or towns that may be most vulnerable…where access becomes limited…include Silverton, Crested Butte… The highest snow totals are expected over the Grand Mesa, Elk and San Juan Mountains. If you reside in these areas consider stocking up on needed supplies for the next few days. These areas have the potential of seeing EPIC snow accumulations that may reach as high as 6-8 feet by Thursday afternoon.”
And even then, we appear to be in a favorable cycle through the holidays and into next week. We’re looking so good that even the powder forecaster himself made a pilgrimage down to Crested Butte. Here’s his take on the next several days. “The heaviest snow will take a break on Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday night as the flow swings around to the southwest and most of the moisture gets sucked out by the San Juan Mountains. But another round of heavy snow – and colder air – will move in Wednesday night and Thursday morning putting a nice endcap on the storm. The sun will return on Thursday afternoon and blue skies will rule on Friday and Saturday. Oh, and there is another storm in the wings…probably arriving next Monday.”
Thank you La Niña, Santa, Ullr, and all you other snow-bestowing entities… keep it coming!
