The last email was all inclusive. I invited you to The Snoball, we talked about long legs (and deep upslope), hinted at the lost ski areas of Colorado, and discussed how it’s hard to date a good skier but it’s easy to get caught smoking dope at Abasin.
How can we top that?
Perhaps 1-2 FEET of snow will do the trick.
“The [atmosphere] is angry this week, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.” This line is part of one of the finest endings of any Seinfeld show, and it’s also a perfect way to describe the air above…if by “angry” we mean “snowy”.
By now you’ve probably heard of the awesome predictions.
1-2 feet
10-18 inches
8-14 inches
So what’s the deal?
First, think of a big snowstorm like hanging out romantically with a member of the opposite gender. Even if 90% of the experience is awesome, that final 10% can be a deal breaker. It’s the same story with this storm. Everything looks like it’s coming together for some sweet snowy goodness, but if one thing turns against us (i.e the winds east of the divide turn just slightly out of the west), then this deal is broken. Right now, our romantic two-day snowstorm looks like it has all the right moves. But if it starts to pull an Elaine dance, our romantic date might be no more.
The main take away is that this storm will put down lots of snow, covering almost all of Colorado by midday Thursday (yes, the valleys and plains included). Wednesday could be a very difficult travel day for many mountains passes as well as the urban areas of the plains. Snow will start to end by Wednesday afternoon for many areas, though if the storm sticks around, snow could spill into Thursday morning for areas along and north of I-70 (plains included).
Especially along the plains and front range, don’t be fooled if you wake up early Wednesday and there isn’t a whole lot of snow. It should come down heaviest from mid-morning through mid-afternoon. Maybe it’s a good day to “work from home” (I may have just contributed to a secondary economic downturn for Colorado).
Most mountain areas west of the divide should see about 6-12″, between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon. The highest amounts will be over the foothills and mountains east of the divide, and along and north of I-70. These locations could see 1-2 FEET of snow (think Indian Peaks, Rocky Mountain National Park). The plains north of Castle Rock could also see about 12″ of snow. These predictions are based on computer model forecasts of about 0.5-1.0 inches of liquid in the mountains, and 1.0-1.5 inches of liquid east of the divide and north of I-70. At a general snow-to-liquid ratio of 15:1, well, you do the math (gotta work for your snow, afterall).
For in bounds opportunities, Loveland and Abasin should do pretty well due to the deep upslope, though I don’t think they will be the big winners. Still, a healthy 6-12″ by Wednesday afternoon is awesome for October. Keep in mind that I-70 could shut down on Wednesday, especially between the tunnel and Denver. All it takes is an hour or two of heavy snow and some idiots trying to get through a bit too quickly.
Oh, this storm makes the backcountry look soooo tempting, but PLEASE treat the snowpack VERY carefully. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center lists a number of recent incidents, and a friend on this email list wrote to me last night about an avalanche in Rocky Mtn NP this week. The accidents are not resulting in any serious injuries, but with feet of snow coming, the consequences will become much more severe. This is a good time to be thankful for early season snow and be thankful that we can play around on low angle stuff. This is not a time to be greedy…
Divas in Drag. It’s a sweet event in Boulder to raise money for Breast Cancer, and it’s happening this Wednesday. Be careful driving, but try to attend! Visit the website for awesome pics and video.
The winners of the free Posterbrain.com giveway (for getting their Snoball tickets by Monday at midnight) are Michael Brown (www.seracfilms.com) and John Helmers (who has no relation to the the link I provided). See you at The Snoball on Friday night! With snow on the ground and awesome giveaways and music inside, it’ll be a great night. Get your ticket now!
