Winter is Coming

There’s been a lot of hype so far about what resorts are set to get the most snow and impending storm systems for the upcoming season, and while there’s still a lot up in the air- literally, the snow hasn’t really fallen yet- one thing is for certain: Winter is coming.
NOAA Downgrades La Niña
After previous climate models showed a 75 percent chance of La Niña for this winter- even as recently as June- NOAA forecasters have now dropped the La Niña watch because of slowed cooling of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific. That doesn’t mean that ski resorts won’t be seeing good snowfall this winter, but that the chances of record breaking snowfalls across North America due to La Niña are looking less likely as the sea surface temperature remains neutral.
Winter is Coming
With the bad news out of the way, it’s worth noting that mountainous regions across North America have already reported snow, with Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, and Kicking Horse all seeing light accumulation in Canada, and resorts across the American west reporting fresh dustings throughout the past month. Jackson Hole even had its first snowfall back in July, according to their blog.
And if you really find yourself itching to hit the mountain and can’t wait til the lifts start spinning, take a page from this Montana skier, as reported and chronicled by Unofficial Networks, who wasn’t phased by the lack of coverage (I guess it can be called that when sticks, bushes, and grass are all visible), but spent the past weekend putting a new meaning to the term “first tracks.”
And just to get you even more stoked on the coming season, check out this trailer via Powder Magazine for “Monumental,” which offers a tribute to skiing America’s National Parks on the 100th anniversary of the park system. Filled with epic mountain shots from some of America’s most dramatic parks, and some of the first ski porn of the season, it’s worth checking out the teaser and the premier schedule.