Early snow kick-starts winter recreation

Snow started piling up above 4,500 feet two weeks ago, to the point where Mt. Bachelor opened to pass holders 12 days ahead of its November 29 plan. There were about 200 skiers Saturday and Sunday at Ski Hoodoo even though the resort is not yet open. With a solid two feet of snow, skiers - primarily from the Valley - trekked the 30-40 minutes to the summit and skied down.

Photo by Bill Bartlett

Kids by the dozens rushed to Sisters area sno-parks to build snow caves, tunnels, and snowmen.

Around the bend at Ray Benson Sno-Park, dozens of sledders blasted off in their snowmobiles careful to avoid the many snowshoers and Nordic skiers who rushed to get into the fun.

At Three Creeks Sno-Park, there was enough snow a week ago for the same kinds of activity, but it has since receded, washed away by rain and temperatures that reached into the 50s last week and at one point Wednesday hitting 63 degrees briefly.

Early snow is critical to businesses like Eurosports in Sisters that rent skis and snowshoes and sell accessories like gloves, hats, and goggles. Brad Boyd, owner, told The Nugget that he is cautiously optimistic about what he's seen so far.

"I skied at Bachelor a few days ago and it was some of the best skiing ever," he said. "You can never be sure about our snow. Weather is too unpredictable. We hope for the best and roll with whatever we get."

Last year, the season didn't materialize until January, a loss of 30-plus days for operators like Boyd and Ski Hoodoo itself.

Bomb cyclone

Deb and Jim Barnes of Sisters were forced to overnight in Redding, California, last week as they were traveling home. Fifty miles of Interstate 5 was closed with freak snow and winds. It's all part of a series of seasonal storms known as bomb cylcones or atmospheric rivers.

Northern California was blanketed by flood warnings, watches and advisories on Friday. Heavy snow fell in the Washington Cascades and Northern Rockies through Saturday, and several feet of snow accumulated in higher elevations of the northern Sierra range.

Some 200,000 homes and businesses in Washington and Northern California were without power last Friday.

A bomb cyclone, also known as bombogenesis, is a fast-developing storm that occurs when atmospheric pressure drops at least 24 millibars over a 24-hour period according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

"A bomb cyclone occurs when atmospheric pressure at the center of the cyclone drops rapidly. In order to approximately qualify, the pressure needs to drop about 1 millibar, or more, every hour over a 24-hour period," John Moore, a public affairs specialist and meteorologist for the National Weather Service, told media. "This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as air over warm ocean waters," the NOAA explains.

Washington and Northern California took the brunt of the cyclones. Seattle was particularly hard hit. In Oregon we appear to be in between and it's frustrating to winter recreationalists seeing so much snow above 5,000 feet but finding it wet and somewhat sloppy.

"We need colder days," begged families around Sisters Country as they attempted to glide in their skis or snowshoes across meadows glistening with snow. But the wet snow slowed their progress. On the other hand, building snowmen with the heavy snow was fast and easy at the half dozen sno-parks within 30 minutes of Sisters.

Dozens of snowmen and snowwomen were erected by children squealing in delight.

Photo by Bill Bartlett

Emily Carson from Corvallis couldn't wait for official opening to get her Hoodoo ski fix.

The snow measurement station at Three Creeks Meadow situated at 5,690 feet clocked in at 18 inches last Thursday but dipped to 12 inches on Sunday with a snow water equivalent of 3.2 inches. A year ago on the same dates, there was no snow at all at the station. This keeps Boyd and his fellow businesses, dependent on winter enthusiasts, hopeful.

Boyd has put up a heated, seasonal yurt in the Eurosports courtyard. It can hold 16 comfortably and 20 could squeeze in. He's added two tables in the bike shop as well, all in an effort to cater to the growing numbers of winter visitors to Sisters.

Ski Hoodoo has yet to announce an opening date. They've received 67 inches of snow through Sunday, 31 inches of which remained on the ground. The forecast however shows little precipitation.