Interview with Joel Gratz of Opensnow.com by Mike Horn of StokeLab Magazine.
MH: Alright Joel, first things first: Is the shifting storm track going to favor the West Elk Mountains as we head deeper into December?
JG: I hope so, but it’s too early to know for sure. The storm track for the next week-ish will be better than before but just a touch too far north to give consistent, deep snow. This could shift into a more favorable position toward mid-December, so let’s hope for that. No matter, the West Elk mountains can still get deep snow even when the storm track isn’t perfect.
MH: Are we experiencing a La Niña or El Niño weather pattern this winter?
JG: Neither. Water temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean are about normal, so we affectionately call this a “La Nada.”
MH: What’s your favorite run at Crested Butte Mountain Resort?
JG: I have good memories of The Glades and Rambo. Not too technical to be very scary, but plenty steep to get the blood pumping.
MH: If you look into the crystal ball, what’s the rest of winter looking like for Colorado? Of course there are a lot of factors and unknowns at play here…
JG: My crystal ball says ‘Don’t make long range forecasts because they’re not accurate.’ Sorry, that’s not me talking, that’s the crystal ball.
Crested Butte Mountain Resort Pow Cam 12/9/12
OPENSNOW.COM UPDATE 12/9/12:
Sunday night will be cold, clear, and dry, butTuesday midday through Thursday afternoon will be dry, then another storm moves in Thursday night through Saturday. The San Juans will be favored with this one (they need it!) though all areas will see snow on Friday through Saturday morning.
And don’t worry, because there are more storms coming during the third week of December. We should be in pretty good shape around Colorado by Christmas week (if not before) as there will be consistent chilly temperatures and snow every few days between now and then. What better news could you ask for on the first full day of Chanunkkah?!
{CB-local Mike Horn is cofounder of StokeLab Magazine and editor of Kronicle - a backcountry snowboarding magazine.]
