It was a wild morning with rain to 7500′ when I got to the hill.  It had rained to 9000′ during the night and the mountain was on hold as crews worked to get the frozen wheels turning as well as snow safety work.  It was a perfect time for the morning crew to gather in the Planetary Office and consider the options.  Here is a mug shot of the core membership.  After news from folks who were returning from the chairs after waiting a long time with no movement, we decided to call it a day and leave the Canyon before the Frontal Passage which was not far off.  The road was still in great shape with the warm temps out ahead of the front.  The lower chairs opened around 11:00 AM, where  very dense wet snow was the flavor of the day.  While it might seem a sad situation, this installment will help give the pack a bit more water to take into the Spring.  I got this shot of the Cold Front swallowing the Valley when I was drivingback to The Trailer.  This weather extravaganza was about to unleash some real whoop ass on the Valley, with heavy hail to start and driving snow to follow up the passage.  Up on the hill, the front brought fresh Essence as the temperatures plummeted after the passage.  Tomorrow, look for a lot of fresh snow on the hill, with a lot of pressure for the goods, but the quality will be well worth being there and getting after it. It may be a day of sequential openings, as the control crews work the hill.  Dress for very cold temps., as this pattern drew down some cold air with it.  Check the Bird site for Canyon updates and official info.  It is going to be a great day, and the hill is in great shape.  I will be taking the day off for R and R.  Speed Safely!!

This entry was posted on Friday, December 16th, 2016 at 6:23 pm and is filed under Snow Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.