The Power of Elevation: Why Not All Snow Is Created Equal Any serious skier will tell you that not all snow is created equal. Light, fluffy powder, dense, wet snow, and icy sleet all start as the same thing: moisture in the air. An intricate dance of atmospheric moisture, environmental conditions, and resort geography all combine to create the spectrum of snowfall that snowsports enthusiasts crave. Despite the numerous factors that […] Featured Article Andrew | February 2, 2023 3 Comments
NOAA Updated January Outlook: Forecast Looks Perfect For California The NOAA just updated its outlook for January 2023. The forecast looks perfect for the Sierra Nevada, with below-average temperatures and above-average precipitation expected. The full discussion is below: Early in the month, much of the CONUS is expected to experience above-normal temperatures, while below-normal temperatures are likely from California to the Intermountain West. During week-2, the favoring of above-normal temperatures […] Weather WeatherBrains | January 3, 2023 0 Comments
NOAA 6-10 Day and 8-14 Day Outlooks: Below-Average Temperatures and Above-Average Precipitation Expected for Parts of Western US 6-10 Day Outlook: Below-average temperatures are expected for the Western United States with above-average precipitation for the Western and Central US. Snowfall is expected to impact much of the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Rocky Mountains by the end of the weekend into next week. Related: SnowBrains Forecast: First Taste of Winter for the Cascades | 3-10″ This Weekend, […] Weather WeatherBrains | October 19, 2022 0 Comments
NOAA 8-14 Day Outlook: Most of the Country Will be Warmer Than Normal Ski season is just around the corner and several resorts have begun making snow which must mean winter weather is on its way, right? Unfortunately not. Higher than normal temperatures are expected across most of the country; bad news for snowmakers. Related: NOAA ENSO October Update: 75% Chance La Niña Will Last Through Winter Discussion from the NOAA below: This outlook […] Weather WeatherBrains | October 14, 2022 0 Comments
Can Bio-Precipitation and Cloud Seeding Elevate Snow Levels? 2021 Snowfall at Mammoth. Photo Credit: ABC News Precipitation forms at the cloud level when a cloud’s moisture condensates on an aerosol catalyst of some kind. The droplet continues to freeze, condense, and gain moisture until it is heavy enough to fall to the earth. Oftentimes, this aerosol catalyst takes the form of minerals such as calcium, aluminum, or magnesium. […] Weather Jaxon Jacobs | September 12, 2022 0 Comments
NOAA Outlook September 2022: Hotter and Drier Than Normal for Most of Country Here’s the NOAA’s September outlook. It’s looking warmer and drier than normal for the majority of the nation. Related: August 2022 ENSO Update: La Niña Continues The abridged discussion is below: Above normal temperatures are favored for most of the west-central CONUS. The strongest probabilities (greater than 50 percent) of above-normal temperatures are indicated near the Four Corners region southeastward to extreme western Texas. […] Weather WeatherBrains | August 31, 2022 0 Comments
How Much Snow Would The U.S. Get if All Precipitation Fell as Snow? Have you ever looked outside when it’s raining and thought “if it was just colder, it would be snowing.” If you love snow sports, then you probably have. The picture above from meteorologist Joe Lauria answers the question of how much snow would fall if all precipitation fell as snow. The results are pretty impressive. Most impressive is the Pacific Northwest […] Brains Brent Thomas | August 10, 2022 1 Comment
NOAA 8-14 Day Outlook: Hotter and Drier for the West, Cooler and Wetter for the East Yesterday the NOAA released its outlook for the next two weeks. Looks like the west will be hotter and drier than normal, and the east cooler and drier. Related: NOAA June 2022 Outlook: Hotter and Drier Than Average for Majority of USA Detailed discussion below: Increased odds of below normal temperatures over parts of the Northern and Central Plains extending eastward […] Weather WeatherBrains | June 2, 2022 0 Comments