Weather Log 2023-2024

[Glade Monkey]

Ready for snow!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15pDtVbFtHZc_GZpQfRlKcwOYKePe7l6m_2SnFcA7sjk/edit?pli=1#gid=2092078038

[SpillwayEast]

Ready, Snow is in the forecast for the higher peaks of Utah this weekend.

[Glade Monkey]

10/30/23 - going to add 2” to the log for today based on the webcams!!
18 days until opening

[Glade Monkey]

1” reported on the mountain report - 4” total for the season
One week to opening day!

[chriscarleton]

1” reported on the mountain report - 4” total for the season
One week to opening day!

I question whether or not they will be able to pull this off. They have made ZERO snow and there is a very short window of time before 11/16 that will provide snow making temps.

Word on the street is that the entire snowmaking crew is consumed with the west mtn project.

[Glade Monkey]

Timberline lift goes 1 for 1 with a wind hold on day 1

[Alpiner]

Thanks for keeping this going.

Apropos of nothing in particular, someone posted a Sugarloaf brochure from 1956 on Facebook Unofficial Sugarloaf. It advertised an avg annual snowfall of 140".

[BubbleCuffer97]

Thanks for keeping this going.

Apropos of nothing in particular, someone posted a Sugarloaf brochure from 1956 on Facebook Unofficial Sugarloaf. It advertised an avg annual snowfall of 140".

That is very interesting Alpiner. It does beg the question of how much climate is impacting snowfall at the loaf (please no climate change arguments). These days the typical stat I see advertised is ~200" / year. I'm guessing that two main things are causing the increase:
1. Extraordinarily big snow years in the 90's skewing averages higher
2. The fact that snow reporters' measured snowfall is very "generous" these days (this is not limited to SL). I'm guessing they were a little more honest in the 1950's, but now it seems you have to be generous to be competitive (just like what they do with trail numbers nowadays)

I just went into the trusty weather log and interestingly enough, the average snowfall over the last four full seasons is almost exactly 140" (141" to be exact). Of course, that includes the two seasons prior to last year which were well below average. This snowfall tracker is really great - thanks Glademonkey for spearheading this every year and all those who help to keep it updated.

[skiloaf]

Few people left who think the climate is not changing. I wonder how many rain events there were in the past and if they were less frequent and less severe.

[Glade Monkey]

Thanks for keeping this going.

Apropos of nothing in particular, someone posted a Sugarloaf brochure from 1956 on Facebook Unofficial Sugarloaf. It advertised an avg annual snowfall of 140".

That is very interesting Alpiner. It does beg the question of how much climate is impacting snowfall at the loaf (please no climate change arguments). These days the typical stat I see advertised is ~200" / year. I'm guessing that two main things are causing the increase:
1. Extraordinarily big snow years in the 90's skewing averages higher
2. The fact that snow reporters' measured snowfall is very "generous" these days (this is not limited to SL). I'm guessing they were a little more honest in the 1950's, but now it seems you have to be generous to be competitive (just like what they do with trail numbers nowadays)

I just went into the trusty weather log and interestingly enough, the average snowfall over the last four full seasons is almost exactly 140" (141" to be exact). Of course, that includes the two seasons prior to last year which were well below average. This snowfall tracker is really great - thanks Glademonkey for spearheading this every year and all those who help to keep it updated.

Checking the daily report and updating the sheet has become a morning ritual, but it’s available for anyone to edit .
Btw - here’s a link of the long term seasonal snow totals (average is 171”)
http://www.sugarloafoutside.com/index/snowfallhistory.html

[k2trav]

should also keep track of Summit and base temps and approximate # of guns running

[Glade Monkey]

should also keep track of Summit and base temps and approximate # of guns running

Maybe if they installed advanced weather stations like Saddleback

[k2trav]

They have them

Top
https://www.weatherlink.com/map/4e059d3a-930e-40f3-964d-696297904466

Base

https://www.weatherlink.com/map/c0d9838e-95c4-4b39-bfd2-c7bd7c2f550b

[bigelow]

Few people left who think the climate is not changing. I wonder how many rain events there were in the past and if they were less frequent and less severe.

It'd be great to log the rain events. No need to get technical, just noting the dates it rained. It only takes 10 min of rain to completely screw up nice snow; rainfall amount is irrelevant IMO. Quite often at SL when people say " conditions have been awesome man!!!!!" its not because its been snowing a lot, it's because it hasn't rained in several weeks. Grooming cycles and sustained cold temps for extended periods go a long ways. Some natural snowfall always helps too.

[Glade Monkey]

10am Friday after T-day
Mid-morning update @ 10:05am on website
3 more trails are scheduled to open today, but only 2 show as open so far…patrol must be enjoying upper Timberline, unless the lift isn’t spinning because it still shows as scheduled for 9am (an hour ago!)
Also the report says snowmaking is going on at least 4 trails but the report details show 0

[BubbleCuffer97]

10am Friday after T-day
Mid-morning update @ 10:05am on website
3 more trails are scheduled to open today, but only 2 show as open so far…patrol must be enjoying upper Timberline, unless the lift isn’t spinning because it still shows as scheduled for 9am (an hour ago!)
Also the report says snowmaking is going on at least 4 trails but the report details show 0

Maybe you should offer to take over responsibility for updating this info in exchange for a free season pass

[Glade Monkey]

10am Friday after T-day
Mid-morning update @ 10:05am on website
3 more trails are scheduled to open today, but only 2 show as open so far…patrol must be enjoying upper Timberline, unless the lift isn’t spinning because it still shows as scheduled for 9am (an hour ago!)
Also the report says snowmaking is going on at least 4 trails but the report details show 0

Maybe you should offer to take over responsibility for updating this info in exchange for a free season pass

Got a pass - will work for food

[Glade Monkey]

Ready to track….

[BubbleCuffer97]

Never ceases to amaze me how early double bitter opens with minimal snow. For anyone up this weekend, how's the coverage on the natural trails they opened? Should be great tomorrow. Enjoy!

[Alpiner]

Thanks for keeping this going.

Apropos of nothing in particular, someone posted a Sugarloaf brochure from 1956 on Facebook Unofficial Sugarloaf. It advertised an avg annual snowfall of 140".

That is very interesting Alpiner. It does beg the question of how much climate is impacting snowfall at the loaf (please no climate change arguments). These days the typical stat I see advertised is ~200" / year.

I don't recall them ever advertising an average of 200"/yr. Link?

It'd be great to log the rain events. No need to get technical, just noting the dates it rained.

Pretty sure he's already doing that?

Ready to track

Mountain is reporting 10". Any independent gnar reports out there?

[Glade Monkey]

Thanks for keeping this going.

Apropos of nothing in particular, someone posted a Sugarloaf brochure from 1956 on Facebook Unofficial Sugarloaf. It advertised an avg annual snowfall of 140".

That is very interesting Alpiner. It does beg the question of how much climate is impacting snowfall at the loaf (please no climate change arguments). These days the typical stat I see advertised is ~200" / year.

I don't recall them ever advertising an average of 200"/yr. Link?

It'd be great to log the rain events. No need to get technical, just noting the dates it rained.

Pretty sure he's already doing that?

Ready to track

Mountain is reporting 10". Any independent gnar reports out there?

Stuck at home working, but trail count just jumped from 27 to 62!!
I am "tracking" rain events in comments.... no plans to add more columns of details such as that or summit & base temps, but it is an open sheet so feel free to.

SL website says 10 year average annual snowfall is 200" https://www.sugarloaf.com/mountain-stats

[Alpiner]

SL website says 10 year average annual snowfall is 200" https://www.sugarloaf.com/mountain-stats

Wow, bold. I hate when they use statistics that aren't believable, even if they're true. Like that sign that said the 3 snowiest months are March, April, February, in that order.

Makes 2022 look especially lame at 106".

[Glade Monkey]

SL website says 10 year average annual snowfall is 200" https://www.sugarloaf.com/mountain-stats

Wow, bold. I hate when they use statistics that aren't believable, even if they're true. Like that sign that said the 3 snowiest months are March, April, February, in that order.

Makes 2022 look especially lame at 106".

I can only come up with 162.5” average for last 10 yrs
Who stole that sign?

[gondicar]

Like that sign that said the 3 snowiest months are March, April, February, in that order.

That was true based on the snowfall data I was tracking at the time.

[Alpiner]

Like that sign that said the 3 snowiest months are March, April, February, in that order.

That was true based on the snowfall data I was tracking at the time.

I know but it just felt so wrong.

[gondicar]

Like that sign that said the 3 snowiest months are March, April, February, in that order.

That was true based on the snowfall data I was tracking at the time.

I know but it just felt so wrong.

Well, when you put it that way

[SkitheLoaf]

Well, while SL is up to 30" on the season to date, Saddleback is claiming 46" so far! https://www.saddlebackmaine.com/mountain-report/

[darkwizard]

I am "tracking" rain events in comments.... no plans to add more columns of details such as that or summit & base temps, but it is an open sheet so feel free to.

What do we consider to be the official unofficial source for summit and base temps? The mountain report only reports one temp as a widget on the page. Sometimes they may state it in the verbiage, but that's not guaranteed to be used for a daily source of record for the weather log.

[Glade Monkey]

Well, while SL is up to 30" on the season to date, Saddleback is claiming 46" so far! https://www.saddlebackmaine.com/mountain-report/

At least 50% more due to lake effect

[Glade Monkey]

I am "tracking" rain events in comments.... no plans to add more columns of details such as that or summit & base temps, but it is an open sheet so feel free to.

What do we consider to be the official unofficial source for summit and base temps? The mountain report only reports one temp as a widget on the page. Sometimes they may state it in the verbiage, but that's not guaranteed to be used for a daily source of record for the weather log.

Trav shared a couple links in a post a little further up in this thread....do your magic with them!