Livin’ on the edge of the Jet Stream has its rewards – like more snow for the weekend!
It’s Friday and you want good news. Well guess what? I have good news and I have videos, and both are going to get you pumped for the weekend!
Video Forecast
I’m trying something new – a video forecast. Let me know what you think in the comments or via email. I’ll be checking in over the weekend as I hang at the Aspen/Snowmass Open on Fri/Sat, and in Steamboat on Sunday. And if video is not your thing, I copied the forecast below, almost like crib notes for the video.
More video funny
If you’re itching for more distraction, check out two more snow-related videos below that are guaranteed to make you laugh. FYI – these videos have a few “bad” words attached.
Hey Gratz – I like the new format. Question on the crib notes, I noticed some ski areas are in bold blue, does this mean they are the areas more likly to get the snow?
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:23 PM
Yep…those were my “favored” areas for highest snow totals.
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Gratzo Grizzo, like the videocast. Very nice! But how about a little long range outlook. What’s in the cards for the end of the month & beginning of March. Going to Telluride, CB & Monarch early March and hoping some big storms loom. Any hope for that?
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:24 PM
Long range looks better after about February 20th or 25th…so your early March trips have a good shot at some good snow! Can’t offer any details this far out, but keep watching.
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I bow down to thee, the graphics and set-up are fantastic and delivery smooth and keeps me interested. Thanks a bunch. no need to watch the news anymore.
Really a great job, well done.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:24 PM
Thanks Kevin!
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Thx, Gratz. Really like the video format. Keep up the spirit. We are coming over to Co from Germany Feb 26 ff. Hope we experience some Pow!
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:25 PM
I hope you get some powder as well! The weather pattern looks pretty good for snow toward the end of February…
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Gratz-
Likin’ the video forecasts and the new format! It keeps getting better.
On a side note that little cartoon was pretty funny.
Thanks!
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Thanks for the update buddy!
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Killer video dude. Can’t wait to see you rake in the licensing fees once local news channels pick this up. Keep up the good work!
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:25 PM
It’s only a matter of time, yes?!
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nice! the video forecast is excellent. helps for those of us too lazy to read. one suggestion I have is to add a shot of the radar/satellite for the upcoming storm possibly? I know it gets me excited to see the moisture cranking in. keep it up.
say hi to Ingrid for me.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:27 PM
Ryan – I will add some radar/satellite images to keep the stoke high. One thing I try to do is to make the weather simple. Around the mountains of Colorado, radar is rather useless unless you have a lot of experience interpreting it, and the satellite images from this latest storm were not impressive…but the snow totals were!
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Excellent! I like it.
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Wow, a great site just got even better. Way to go Joel. Now to get in training for cross country boarding! lol
Bill
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If only I could get a text message with the forecast
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The forecast is well done, but I’m just looking for the goods. I like the text version for scanability. Keep up the great work, Joel.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:29 PM
Thanks for your feedback…I will include an easily scanable text version of the forecast every time I include a video. Your suggestion makes sense…thanks!
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Fabulous new addition to your website. Well laid out and presented. We have plenty of that “white gold” here in the East…thanks for not taking it all and sending some of it to PA. You know where I’ll be as soon as the roads are cleared. Guess Who?
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:29 PM
Guess who? Thanks dad!
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The best forecast got even better! Your killin it Joel
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:29 PM
Thanks!
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Outstanding. New format earns its launch debut of 4 out of 5 ‘rips-it’ on a powder day. Certainly provides a layer of infotainment that text [only] can’t deliver.
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I really like the video delivery. Guess the movie making class paid off! Keep up the good work, and hopefully you can hit the ‘Boat on a good day Sunday. I can’t ski until Monday at WP, so I hope for a lot of leftovers with the peeps. OH, and the animation is hilarious!
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Monday’s leftovers should have been good!
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CoPoFo just threw down the run-to-beat at the Forecast Olympics. Nice work!
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Ha! Thanks a great way to look at it. Thanks!
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Fun factor – given all the comments above, presumably high.
Functionality – Low for those of us in meetings, workshops, etc where playing a video would be somewhat frowned upon, but where scheming weekend ski plans would be a good use of our brain waves.
Call me old fashioned. I like text.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:30 PM
You got it…will always include text in addition to the video from now on. Glad to help you through your meetings!
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Love the video. Great for us blonds who can’t read.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:31 PM
You might not be able to read, but you can rip! Nice ridding with you in Aspen!
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i like maps more than videos.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:31 PM
Thanks! Will try to include video, maps, and text in future forecasts so everyone can get what they want. Thanks for you comment!
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Joel, bring back the text. Our internets at work doesn’t let your video play, I might have to go out Californy-way to view it.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:32 PM
Will include text in the future, just for you folks with specialized internets at work.
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Kudos, Gratzo! I found myself at SIlverton again today. Great day. Some leftovers from last Sunday’s 10″. There were snow flurries half the day here, amounted to 3-5″ new before I left the mountain. the heli-skiing was fantastic. Skied a few classic lines. Not sure where to next…maybe Wyoming.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:39 PM
Silverton is always a good choice – glad you got the goods!
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Looks good Joel.
If you haven’t seen it already, check out the Xtranormal cartoon on “paramarking”
ted
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:41 PM
Ha! This is funny: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5816437/
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Like the new video concept along with the snow total frame grabs but what was even better was the cross country snowboarding video. As a boarder myself I really think that’s a sport just waiting to take off. Your site just keeps getting better and better – as a matter of fact it was one of the featured sites in my best ski and snowboard websites and blogs that I just posted (http://www.glutenfreesnowboarder.com). Thanks for the great work!
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:50 PM
Thanks for the shout out! All…definitely check out his site for some good photos and great snow-related commentary.
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WOW!! joel you never let us down, the video update is awesome!! i have linked to you from my blog, http://powderpages.com/blog/ . Thanks again it is looking great!!
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:50 PM
Thank you!
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Knee deep on Buff Pass saturday afternoon. Nice to see some nw flow for a change.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:51 PM
Yup … a little on the heavy side (for Colorado) and wind affected up there, from what I heard. Of course, this is just being specific…I’m sure it was still fun to ski/ride/drive up there on the pass.
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Have to hand it to you Joel, forecast was on the money again. Breck skied very well yesterday thanks to plenty of fresh and some copious windloading.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:52 PM
Good to hear! Breck does well in strong NW flow, which is what this storm brought in.
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good work joel. looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the wed/thurs storm coming through as well as the small system tonight. i am in vail so i am hoping with the northwest flow that the orographics could continue to be highly favorable for our area.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:53 PM
maybe a few inches tonight (Monday) at most, but it won’t take much to keep the 22″ from the last week fresh at Vail. The Wed/Thurs storm now looks more like Thurs/Thurs night. Lots of uncertainty about this late week storm (as I show here: http://www.coloradopowderforecast.com/2010/02/15/february-15-2010-ok-week-weekend-looks-good/), but I’ve got my eye on it. The mountains around and north of I-70 could have another great late week/weekend coming up.
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Any chance of an update today or tomorrow Joel? Looking to go find the goods on Wednesday… probably backcountry, but need to choose between Berthoud, Vail, Hoosier, etc.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:55 PM
Looks like more snow at Hoosier/Vail than Berthoud on Monday night, but we’re just talking a few inches most likely. Wednesday could cloud over, but looks generally dry. Wind will pick up on Wed/Thurs.
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Joel! You were right!! Vail was killer this past weekend. Everyone has been saying that Sunday was the best day of the Season Yet!!
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:56 PM
It’s always fun to correctly forecast great snow. Hope you got out there and got lost in the white room. Thanks for commenting!
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Love the videocast, but not sure about the clipping path around that self portrait (or the self portrait in general). Just kidding – nice work Gratzo!
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Joel Gratz Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:57 PM
Tough love, eh? Next you’ll use your professional marketing and graphic design skills to “comment” on my choice of font and colors? I used Myriad and not Gil Sans…so you should be proud:-)
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