Bumper Snow in US for Christmas
19th December 2024
If you’re off to ski in the USA this Christmas, it’s looking like it could be a good one. There’ve been big snowfalls in many parts with more to come. NEW
Resorts across Colorado, California, Wyoming, Idaho and beyond are all reporting good conditions.
Recent storms have been providing the white stuff.
In California, the resorts around Lake Tahoe are looking excellent as the holiday season gets underway.
Lots of snow fell widely over last weekend and into Monday.
With less than a week until Christmas, there’s a good base, with resorts reporting between 20 and 85 inches (50cm to 2.2 metres).
Palisades Tahoe says it has had 78 inches (1.93m) of snow so far this season.
At the weekend 17 inches (43cm) fell.
Mammoth Mountain says it has a base of between 50 and 85 inches.
In Wyoming, Jackson Hole reported on Wednesday that 3 feet of snow (91cm) had fallen in 3 days.
This was how it looked even before the latest storm.
Park City and Deer Valley in Utah are also getting their fair share.
The snow has brought with it a high risk of avalanches.
A 41-year-old man died after being buried in a slide north of Boise, Idaho, at the weekend.
He was wearing an avalanche transceiver and was found and dug out by snowmobilers but died at the scene.
The Payette Avalanche Centre said the avalanche was reported to be relatively small but the man was carried into a terrain trap and buried deeply.
On Sunday a skier was caught and buried by an avalanche at Bridger Bowl Ski Area in Montana.
The skier was recovered, uninjured.
In Wyoming, a Level 4 avalanche warning was issued for the Togwotee Pass area on Wednesday 18th December.
“Dangerous avalanche conditions exist,” the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center said in its latest information on Thursday 19th.
“Strong winds yesterday continued to load a thin, weak snowpack.
“You will likely trigger an avalanche on steep slopes, especially those exposed to the wind. It is possible to trigger an avalanche remotely – from below, above, or to the side of steep slopes.
“Look for signs of wind, including drifts, stiff pillows, and cracking snow surfaces.”
If you’re heading to the USA, enjoy the snow and stay safe.
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