Happy New Year! What an awesome way to start 2023: Across all of our elevations, we received more than 32 inches of snow. This storm has been an absolute whirlwind. There were moments when we thought it was going to be all rain, but snow levels dropped early yesterday morning and our snow totals have obliterated any projections. 32 inches is what we reported in the Palisades base area, so the higher you go, the deeper it gets. At one point, it was snowing 7 inches per hour yesterday evening! This storm set a record for our mountains as the most snow ever recorded in a 12-hour period. We were able to get quite a few lifts open today, and we’re adding even more to the schedule tomorrow ahead of another storm.
Photo above taken by Asa Moore, Assistant Manager of Grooming at Palisades.
Accumulation
Behind The Scenes
Subway Chairlift has been through the wringer! The first photo (taken by Jeff Goldstone, Mountain Manager at Alpine) shows a sinkhole that was created from the flooding during the rainy part of this storm. The second photo (taken by Blake Kessler) is Subway Chairlift this morning, now covered in snow.
Grooming
This is a photo of the snow on the upper mountain coming in through the window of a snowcat. Have you ever stood next to a snowcat? Those things are TALL!
Obviously, when snow falls it doesn’t just fall straight down and is affected by wind or location. This area is deeper than others, but it’s important to know that the snow depth will vary depending on where you are. This week, since we are expecting more snow, it is going to be crucial for you to be aware of your surroundings. Consider reviewing some Deep Snow Safety tips before skiing or riding.
Resort Chair buried! Photo taken by Nick McMahon
Photo taken by Nick McMahon
Photo taken by Asa Moore
Photo taken by Asa Moore
Photo taken by Asa Moore
Base to Base Gondola
This Morning
If you were on the Palisades side or over at Alpine this morning, you probably could *hear* ski patrol doing control work. They battled some serious slide activity (yes, even on the lower mountains) trying to get this place open safely. We don’t just put things on Patrol Hold for no reason; it is a calculated decision made with the safety of both our team and our guests in mind.
Photos taken by Blake Kessler at Alpine this morning.
Check out these photos of the Alpine base area just before sunrise. Snow removal is super time-consuming on days like this! All of these photos were taken by Blake Kessler.
Tomorrow: What To Expect
Tomorrow will be clear in the morning but by the afternoon, snow will start. Hopefully, winds won’t be an issue until later in the day. Bryan Allegretto has them forecast in the 40-50mph range.
- We have Siberia, Solitude, and Shirley on the schedule for tomorrow. Shirley is likely to be delayed.
- Wa She Shu has a ton of ice on it that we are still breaking. Delays are possible.
- Belmont Terrain Park and Tiegel Terrain Park will open tomorrow.
- Roundhouse is TBD; We lost power to the tensioning system. If the line has no tension, we cannot run the lift.
By Monday morning, we’ll likely see:
- 2-5 inches at the base.
- 3-7 inches on the mountain.
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