Bare, unusual winter leaves skiers high and dry
A sharp decrease in snowpack this winter has winter sports enthusiasts, backcountry skiers and heli-ski operators pining for powder.
“Spent a day discovering Haines Pass. To summarize things: there is no snow,” an observer noted Monday for a Haines conditions observation thread on alaskasnow.org.
Erik Stevens, director and forecaster for the Haines Avalanche Center, said locals are used to seeing a few feet of snow on the ground in town all winter. He said last year, based on snow pit data, there was 12 feet of snow in the mountains at treeline-which is about average.
Measuring snowpack at tree line is a good indicator of overall conditions because rain tends to melt snow away at sea level, and wind impacts accumulation in the alpine, Stevens said.
“This year we have three feet of snow at treeline,” Stevens said. “That shows how little snow there is. It’s not looking great. There’s no tree skiing to be had right now and tree skiing is usually good in Haines.”
Conditions are poor above treeline and in the glaciers as well, Stevens said, where winds have blown away much of the snow, leaving open crevasses.
“Snows bridge a crevasse, but if it’s a thin bridge they tend to sag. That means they’re weak and can’t be trusted. We’re seeing a lot of that flying around,” Stevens said. “There are definitely limited options.”
Thin snow layers correspond to a greater avalanche risk; however, recent conditions have been stable due to the lack of snow, Stevens said.
Areas along the Takshanuk range and near Nadahini up Haines pass are holding snow, Stevens said.
“You can find good skiing,” Stevens said. “You just have to look harder and be willing to go a little bit further. All it takes is one big week and we could have a great snowpack after that. Don’t fret too much. If the weather patterns change, things could still shape up.”
Staff at the Haines Avalanche Center fly two to three times per month to conduct aerial surveys and assimilate data from area weather stations. A regular avalanche forecast is available at alaskasnow.org/haines.
Jim Stanford lives on Mosquito Lake Road and grooms the cross-country trails at 25 Mile. He said the trails have been skiable thanks to the accumulation of hoarfrost over the iced overflow. Stanford said he’s concerned about conditions for the upcoming Miles Klehini Nordic Ski Classic.
“We desperately need some snow for the race,” Standford said. “We’re hoping we get some this week or next week. If the weather turns back to rain, we’ll have to cancel the race.”
Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures owner Scott Sundberg said current conditions have reduced SEABA‘s heli-ski terrain by about half.
SEABA’s season starts on Saturday, with he has 34 clients scheduled to ski for opening week.
“We’re going to go out and utilize the terrain we do have that’s safe and acceptable, but when you’re working with 50 percent availability it hurts operations. You have to fly farther to find good areas,” Sundberg said. “It’s definitely an abnormal year. In the 20 years I’ve been here I’ve never seen it like this.”
For average snow conditions to return, Sundberg said, the region needs about 10 feet of snow in the mountains and temperatures to stay below 40 degrees.
One of those wishes might come true.
Juneau NOAA lead forecaster Rick Fritsch said this week’s precipitation might help snow accumulate at higher elevations, but the overall outlook through April is colder and drier than average.
“Over the long term the balance of this winter is not looking good. What snow is there will probably stay, but it does not look like we’re going to put more on top of what’s there unless we get lucky,” Fritsch said. “For all the skiers out there: if you know a sweet spot with good snowpack, keep going back to that spot.”
On average, February has just less than 3 inches of measurable precipitation with an average daytime high of 32.4 and an average low of 21.4 degrees, Fritsch said.
By Feb. 11, the average high and low temperatures have been 25.1 and 11.5, respectively.
“Haines should have seen 1.5 inches of precipitation,” Fritsch said. “So far you’ve got trace precipitation. We do have a weak La Nina going on. Typically, that translates into colder-than-normal temperatures, but it also can translate into much more variable than usual temperatures.”
In January, record high temperatures were set for the entire state, Fritsch said.
On Jan. 14 Ketchikan temperatures rose to 67 degrees.
“It was warmer in that part of the panhandle than it was in Key West, Fla.,” Fritsch said.
The temperature reached 55 degrees in Haines. January was 2.7 degrees warmer than average, locally.
The Haines area received 4.3 inches of precipitation compared to a 6.5-inch average.
Ron Weishahn lives at 40 Mile and has been measuring snowfall and keeping records for almost 40 years.
“This is the lowest snowfall for us in 37 years,” Weishahn said. “It’s an incredible difference. Right now we have 5 feet and 3 inches of snowfall. Our average annual is something like 22 feet. By now we’ve usually had the lion’s share of that because December and January are big months for snow.”
