Alaska Just Got Buried in 10-Feet of Snow in 5-Days | Black Ops Valdez Heli = Fired Up & Ready

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[sponsored by Black Ops Valdez Heli]

image: Black Ops Valdez Heli

Thompson Pass near Valdez, Alaska has some of the best heli ski terrain on Earth and they just got absolutely buried in snow with up to 10โ€ณ of snowfall per hour resulting in 10-feet of snow in only 5-days last week.

All this big early season snow has got the crew over at Black Ops Valdez Heli is fired up about the upcoming heli ski season.

โ€œThis snowfall came in wet and heavy plastering the Chugach. This creates a great base for this season ensuring much better coverage and conditions than we have seen in a few years.โ€ โ€“ Josh Swierk, Owner/Operator of Black Ops Valdez Heli

image: Black Ops Valdez Heli

Thompson Pass, AK just saw one of the most intense snowfalls ever recorded anywhere last week on December 6th, 2017:

  • 15โ€ณ of snow in 90 minutes. 
  • Thatโ€™s 1.7โ€ณ of snow every 10 minutes for an hour and a halfโ€ฆ  

This Thompson pass storm ranks amongst the most intense snowfalls ever recorded.  The other two being Lake Effect snowfall events off Lake Ontario:

  • 12โ€ณ of snowfall in 60 minutes at Copenhagen, NY on December 2nd, 1966
  • 17.5โ€ณ of snowfall in 120 minutes in Oswego, NY on January 26th, 1972

According to the National Weather Service, Thompson Pass ended up seeing 40โ€ณ of snow in the first 12-hours, 52โ€ณ of snowfall in the first 24-hours, and 120โ€ณ of snow in 5-days last week.

Snow coming down hard in Valdez, AK on December 6th, 2017. photo: AK DOT

All this big early season snow bodes well for the upcoming heli ski season in Valdez.

Black Ops Valdez Heli operates off Thompson Pass, AK and they are more than just a little fired up about the upcoming heli season. 

โ€œThis storm dumped so hard and fast it was hard not to feel apocalyptic. DOT and local
Snow removal crews, some of the best in the world, just couldnโ€™t keep up!  This storm has set up a terrific base for us and there will only be more and more coming our way soon.โ€ โ€“ Josh Swierk, Owner/Operator of Black Ops Valdez Heli
Ripping at Black Ops Valdez Heli. image: tim bouchard/black ops valdez heli

Black Ops Valdez Heli is the way to go for heli skiing in the Valdez/Thompson Pass area because of the enormous amount of varied terrain they can access and their huge range of ways to get you on the hill.  With most operations, if the heliโ€™s donโ€™t fly, you donโ€™t ski.

Thatโ€™s NOT the case at Black Ops Valdez Heli since theyโ€™re primed and set up to take you cat skiing, sled skiing, ice climbing, and more.

โ€œWe donโ€™t often see storms like this one later in the season which is generally why we operate when we do, March and April.  But occasionally larger storms do hit us during our season but we have diversified our operation and our activities to keep people skiing and riding as much as they want while with us with our 3 snow cats, and fleet of ski-doo mountain sleds.โ€ โ€“ Josh Swierk, Owner/Operator of Black Ops Valdez Heli

image: Black Ops Valdez Heli

Black Ops Valdez Heli truly has something for everyone delivering terrain varying from 20ยบ to 65ยบ according to what their clients want.  Donโ€™t think Alaska heli skiing isnโ€™t for you just because you donโ€™t ski like the guys and gals in the movies.

When the Black Ops Valdez Heli helis doesnโ€™t fly, they can still get you skiing and riding or stoke you out on our tour, ice-climbing, out on a boat, and more:
  • Snowcat Skiing
  • Sled Skiing
  • Boat Tours
  • Snowmobiling Tours
  • Snowcat Tours
  • Ski Touring
  • Cross Country Skiing
  • Snowshoeing
  • Ice Climbing
  • Massage
  • Hot Tub
  • Sauna
  • Shopping
  • Museums
image:Aaron Godhart/Black Ops Valdez Heli

All this big, early season snowfall is looking damn good for Black Ops Valdez Heliโ€™s operational season (March & April) off Thompson Pass. 

Big, early season snow equates to a solid snowpack and a solid snowpack leads to a killer heli ski season off Thompson Pass, AK with Black Ops Valdez Heli.

image: Black Ops Valdez Heli

Valdez Area Snow Stats:

  • Thompson Pass = 552โ€ณ of snow annually. 
  • Valdez = 300โ€ณ of snow annually.
  • The higher elevations of Thompson Pass = about 1,000โ€ณ of snowfall per year.
image: Black Ops Valdez Heli

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