Conditions Report
Weather
Gear Review
Conditions Report from Monday, January 8, 2024, at Powderhorn Mountain Resort, CO
 I awoke at 6:00 am to let my dog outside, not expecting what I was about to find. I checked the Pow cam, as we were supposed to add a few inches to our early-season snowpack overnight. Am I seeing things?!! The forecasted 1-3″ overnight turned into 20″ of ultra-low density cold smoke! This storm system as a whole, had been slowed down in its progression across the western United States. This caused what would be a day storm, to linger into the overnight hours. In my experience, this scenario is always a winning combination! I fired up some coffee, knowing that this was not a day to be missed.
 This storm, in particular, was very interesting. The heaviest of the snow was incredibly localized. Only a couple thousand feet down in elevation, it had barely even snowed! This weather anomaly made for great roads the whole way up the mountain from the valley floor. I rolled into the parking lot at 8:24 am to find that we were nearing half capacity already! No surprise, given that kids were still out of school for the holiday break. I booted up hastily and began marching towards the nearest lift.
I stood in a small line while lift operators cleared 16″ of snow off the chairs. I briefly reminisced on my lift operator days at this very mountain. It was good to see that this storm had blanketed even the base area with a healthy serving of the good stuff. Dust on crust was not on the menu today! I was stoked to find that this overnight total happened to be the largest reported in the nation on this day! Powderhorn Mountain Resort is now hovering at half of our annual average, with more snow headed our way. Very cool! Let’s do this, Ullr!
The weather was feeling quite wintery as I loaded the first lift. The mercury read 16 degrees above zero on this glorious January morning. The wind was calm, but a nip was in the air. Regardless of the conditions, I knew that my newly acquired outerwear kit was going to do me justice in the deepness. I went with a trusted local brand that has kept me warm and dry for most of my snowboarding career. Founded by a local legend and good friend, Loki Gear makes battle-tested outerwear options for your every need. Super unique and stylish, these garments come with built-in gloves and face coverings. For those days that you happen to forget something important in your rush towards the powder place. Check them out!
I wasn’t in time for the first chair on this day, but I was pretty close. You could hear the hoots and hollers of the first few chairs as we crested the top of the hill. I unloaded the chair and headed towards one of my stashes. To our delight, only minimal grooming had occurred overnight, blessing us with powder turns in every direction. This 24″ dose of snow felt like more in some areas where I was riding above waist-deep. Consistently choking on snow, a snorkel would have been of real use on this day. As we crushed lap after lap, I wondered if this day could get any better.
Looking forward, we enter my favorite part of the season. Holiday crowds will taper down, and people will return to their everyday lives as resorts close in on opening 100% of their terrain. The short-term forecast looks great for the West, thanks to a welcomed shift in weather patterns. Keep up those snow dances powder people, I think winter has finally arrived.
Trail Map
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