State of the snow pack

2006-11-14 15:11:49.000 – Jim Salge,  Observer

State of the snow pack…

Well, I’ve been up here a week now, and the temperature has only dropped below freezing twice. Winds and fog have dealt the snow pack quite a beating. Rain has fallen almost ever day, and snow pants have been traded in for summer shells. And the hope of the crew to use the snowcat throughout the remainder of the season has literally melted away. Record high temperatures have fallen from the history books, and average temperatures (now in the teens) mock us from the weather archives within. After the snowy October, this is not how I envisioned November.

Hope resides in the forecast, though at this point only the long range forecast. The pattern responsible for this warm air looks to finally break down again during the middle of next week, and thereafter, I hope we rapidly re-descend into winter’s icy grasp, this time for good!

The view in the attached picture shows the state of the summit snow pack in a brief break just moments ago. As you can see, winter’s return can’t come quickly enough!

Jim Salge,  Observer