Another Year Without Winter?

We’ve written before about Professor Jim Steenburgh, a professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah. He’s a backcountry skiier that also happens to have a PHD in Atmospheric Sciences.

However, this morning we came across a term he coined… “A Steenburgh Winter.” A Steenburgh Winter is a different way of looking at skiing in the Wasatch. It begins on the first day the Alta-Collins snow stake reaches 100 inches. It ends on February 10th. His research shows that its around this date that the sun has a caustic effect on powder.

By our accounts, we don’t believe Alta hit that this year and likely won’t in the next 3 days. This also happened in 2012. This of course doesn’t mean we won’t get the late February or early March storm that will make us forget the past few months but it does likely mean that the best “potential” skiing is behind us for the 2014-2015 ski season. Thus, another year without a “Steenburgh Winter” at least.

If you geek out on weather, you should really check out Dr Steenburgh’s site. You might not like what he is saying right now… but you’ll love the way he says it.