Northern Rockies/Alberta 2023-2024 Big Sky Resort/Conditions/Meetups

[Talisman]

Pray harder! 5 weeks till my arrival

A lot can happen in 5 weeks and at some point the snow should trend back towards "average." In the mean time the locals are memorizing every snow collecting gully, scree ridge and tree stump for when we get a few flakes. This is as boney as I have ever seen Big Sky in January and there have been some good ski days after wind events and when a few inches fell.

Remember three things "all skis are rock skis in MT", as the BSSP stickers say "Rocks are Snow Too" and "if you rent skis get the insurance."

 

[tele]

We probably need about 4 feet and no longer any temp above 28 for a while to get things back on track. Even then, we probably are 10 feet short from last year.

 

[dbostedo]

We probably need about 4 feet and no longer any temp above 28 for a while to get things back on track. Even then, we probably are 10 feet short from last year.

Right now, the snowpack is equivalent to 5.5" of water. And the snowpack depth at the Snotel site is 24". Last year (which was well above average) on this day it was 14.3" of water. At a similar density that would be a settled snowpack depth of 62.4 inches.

Alternatively, if you assume 15 inches of snow to one inch of water (light Rockies snow), that means you'd need 132 inches of snow to catch up to last year.

 

[milkman]

That's some stunningly low snowpack . . . not just a bit below the historical below. Noticeably below.

I believe we're at an historically (50 yrs of resort data) low point for this date but our heaviest accumulation months are ahead of us. Surprisingly, to me, Tram skiing has been good.

 

[BC.]

We probably need about 4 feet and no longer any temp above 28 for a while to get things back on track. Even then, we probably are 10 feet short from last year.

You called it…way back a few months ago…and we/I joked how early it was to say the season was bad/ruined…..well…u should apply for a job at OpenSnow, your prediction is/has come true.

I was scheduled to come to MT in March….I'm kind of glad we decided against it this year.

Hopefully things turn around for you…and other areas around suffering from another snowless/ warm, rain event winter.

 

[Talisman]

Any one here going to enter the skijoring events this weekend as a horse rider or skier?

 

[skidrew]

Any one here going to enter the skijoring events this weekend as a horse rider or skier?

View attachment 223594

Poster inspired by the video?

 

[teejaywhy]

Wow, Big Sky skunked again.
Predictions show some incoming in the next few days (fingers crossed)

 

[Talisman]

Wow, Big Sky skunked again.
Predictions show some incoming in the next few days (fingers crossed)

Not sure what you mean by skunked it didn't rain. The winter weather is supposed to roll in later today and the NWS has a "Winter Storm Warning" for Saturday and Sunday.

 

[dbostedo]

OpenSnow is showing this mid-mountain for the next few days:

 

[tele]

OpenSnow is showing this mid-mountain for the next few days:

View attachment 223703

No where near enough. Yesterday Ski Patrol began trail closings. The number of injured vacationers this week was pretty wild. Conditions are not currently favorable to people who live near the sea.

 

[teejaywhy]

Not sure what you mean by skunked it didn't rain. The winter weather is supposed to roll in later today and the NWS has a "Winter Storm Warning" for Saturday and Sunday.

A sad state of affairs when the positive takeaway from a storm is "it didn't rain..."

 

[skidrew]

No where near enough. Yesterday Ski Patrol began trail closings. The number of injured vacationers this week was pretty wild. Conditions are not currently favorable to people who live near the sea.

Is there ever enough snow? (Though the NOAA forecast does look favorable, with T night/Wed most promising)

National Weather Service

forecast.weather.gov

 

[tele]

Is there ever enough snow? (Though the NOAA forecast does look favorable, with T night/Wed most promising)

National Weather Service

forecast.weather.gov

For sure things are looking up. That said, there is a lot of bare spots out there. Will take until this weekend coming up to get anywhere near enjoyable again.

 

[skidrew]

^ Just looked at trail report and a bit stunned to see all of Southern Comfort and pretty much all Lone Tree closed, along with Dakota.

 

[KevinF]

No where near enough. Yesterday Ski Patrol began trail closings. The number of injured vacationers this week was pretty wild. Conditions are not currently favorable to people who live near the sea.

This past Saturday my friends and I would have been flying home from Montana, although we bailed on the trip in early January when conditions looked dire. Based on your "number of injured vacationers this week was pretty wild" comment, I've never been so happy to have bailed on a trip before in my life.

 

[tele]

^ Just looked at trail report and a bit stunned to see all of Southern Comfort and pretty much all Lone Tree closed, along with Dakota.

Why are you stunned. We have literally ground showing through all over Cinnabar as of Friday last week. Over the weekend we have coverage again. You should understand coverage is like minimum in many areas. Lone Tree is a disaster. There’s so many rocks you can almost not make it down. Dakota hasn’t even opened yet for a single day this year. There’s not enough snow. Southern Comfort, like Dakota, is south facing. On the south facing aspect snow melt is real and it goes really fast when it isn’t being refreshed. Never doubt a 38ºF day with full sun and its impact to the snowpack.

This is the worst snowpack the resort has ever experienced since opening day 1973.

 

[tele]

This past Saturday my friends and I would have been flying home from Montana, although we bailed on the trip in early January when conditions looked dire. Based on your "number of injured vacationers this week was pretty wild" comment, I've never been so happy to have bailed on a trip before in my life.

People that aren’t skiing weekly often can’t accommodate the variety of variable conditions have existed this season. The other issue is skiers show up on vacation and go all out without reading the important signs posted….

 

[skidrew]

Stunned just that there’s so little snow that’s what’s not opened. Highlights how much an aberration this year is.

 

[BS Slarver]

Yesterdays crowd, yes a Monday, was the biggest I’ve seen in 60 days on the hill this year. Why S Co was closed baffles me especially after skiing it last week before another 8” fell over the weekend, staffing or lift issues ? The folks staying at the Montage must really like being shuttled to and from their accommodations.
Hid out in some newly opened glade trails most of the morning, lapping the empty T Wolf. With the exception of the occasional monster M Bike berms it was quite nice.
Glad to see patrol opening some tree runs, and some fresh snow, lord knows we needed it