It started a few days ago. Something about moisture from baja and a storm form the northwest possibly bringing heavy snow to southern Colorado.
By Thursday, it went something like this: check the weather on weather.gov- check the fine print on the same site- check the radar- watch the weather channel- look outside at the clouds, try to tell which way the wind is blowing- check the CAIC’s forecast- check the CBAC’s forecast- check forums like tgr to see what other people think about the storm- repeat. Obsessive-compulsive? Maybe.
Here in Crested Butte, though, and especially this season, this storm meant everything. We had no base, it’s December, and what little snow was on the ground was quickly rotting away. Unlike coastal areas, it just isn’t very likely that we’ll get a storm that fixes everything.
Back to the storm… Friday morning, it’s already snowing. Go back to my obsessive-compulsive behaviors again. Look outside every 30 seconds.. “Is it still snowing, is it still snowing?” Yes, it is- 15″ reported at the ski area by Saturday afternoon, and it is still coming down right now. There is a lot more in the surrounding mountains, and it is nice heavy stuff that should really make a good base.
What else? Well, all of a sudden, everyone is in a great mood, smiling, yelling when a good burst of snow comes in, grabbing a beer for apres- there isn’t a drug known to mankind that elevates spirits like a good snowstorm in a powder-starved ski town.
Not the storm approaching, but a cool pic in Stevens gulch:
Edit: Aftermath of the storm. Another on the way!!
