News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The snows of winter have arrived — and right on time.
After a warm and dry November, Old Man Winter decided to pay a visit to Sisters Country. And it looks like he's planning to stay a while.
Snow started falling on December 6, and by Monday, December 12, the Sisters Ranger District was reporting an accumulation in town of a modest-yet-respectable 5.5 inches. Skiers who trekked up Highway 20 to Hoodoo reported nearly 10 times as much on the mountain - somewhere around 50 inches. And, as one of them reported, it was in the form of "awesome powder."
Low visibility deterred some skiers over the weekend, but others were thrilled to put down tracks in the perfect snow - and were happy to see the season start well before Christmas.
Brad Boyd, owner and operator of Eurosports, rents ski equipment and snowshoes and sells winter gear. He says that the timing of snowfall is economically critical for all businesses that benefit from holiday vacation trade.
"Obviously, we'd like to see the snow fall before Thanksgiving, to be honest," he said.
However, he'll take December.
"To have snow when school's out and people are vacationing - huge," he said.
In fact, he noted, the week starting December 26 can be spectacular.
"That's our busiest week of the year - if there's snow," he said.
The impact of snow ripples out to all sorts of businesses that cater to visitors who want to come to Sisters and play in the snow.
Conditions bode well for that white Christmas in Sisters, with more snow expected Wednesday through Friday. Wednesday should be the big snow day, with three to five inches possible. Snow showers are predicted through the rest of the week.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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