Thursday, December 15, 2022

STEENBURGH WINTER IS HERE!!!!

What a storm!  At 2 PM 15 December, the snow depth at Alta-Collins reached 100", officially marking the beginning of Steenburgh winter.  The 33" snow interval ob is clearly spurious, but having some sort of observational irregularity to add to the controversy of this announcement always adds to the fun.  

Long-time readers of this blog know the importance of Steenburgh winter, but new readers may not.  I coined the term during a moment of narcissistic weakness during the winter of 2010/11, an epic year in which Alta-Collins reached 100" on December 20th (see Last Day of Steenburgh Winter from February 10, 2011).

As I wrote then, there are many ways to define winter.  There is astronomical winter, which runs from the winter solstice to the spring equinox.  There is meteorological winter, which is typically defined to run from the beginning of December to the end of February, and then there is Steenburgh winter, which covers the prime powder skiing season in the Wasatch when there is a deep snowpack and a low-angle sun so that the powder lingers for extended periods in the backcountry.

I have high standards.  That is why this blog's motto is "Mountain Meteorology and Snow Snobbery."  If you want to see someone excited about dust-on-crust, you've come to the wrong place.  

Steenburgh winter is about the crème-de-la-crème of Wasatch backcountry skiing.  It is the period from the date we reach a 100" base at Alta-Collins to February 10th.  Why 100"?  Because that's about when much of the Wasatch Backcountry opens up, including rocky areas in the Lone Peak Wilderness.  Why February 10th?  Because that's when the combination of sun angle and day length get large enough that even short appearances by the sun can have a caustic influence on the south side of the compass and have a growing influence on the northern side as we move deeper into the spring.  

If we don't get to 100" by February 10th, there is no Steenburgh winter.  Indeed, in recent years, Steenburgh winters have been rare.  This year, I think we will have the longest Steenburgh Winter since I started this blog and possibly since the 21st century began.  If my sleuthing of the records is accurate, previous early Steenburgh winters occurred in 2004/2005 (100" on December 30th) and 2010/11 (100" on 20 December).  

Thus, this season will provide the longest Steenburgh winter in at least 22 years.  Who knows, maybe it will ultimately be the longest Steenburgh winter of the 21st century?

Controversy

Steenburgh winter is not without controversy and it remains contentious today.  Let me address many of the criticisms one by one.

1. The snowpack can settle back below 100 inches: Yes it can.  I confess I didn't really think about this when I coined the phrase.  It is common for narcissists to do things impulsively.  I recognize this is a problem, but precedent has been set.

2. Total snow depth is not the best measure of how fat the snowpack is.  For sure and indeed I think snowpack water equivalent would be a better variable to use as it is a better measure of how fat the snowpack is and it is less likely to decline significantly, unlike snow depth.  For example, in 2004/2005, we didn't reach 100" until 30 December, but on this date there was more snowpack water equivalent at the Snowbird SNOTEL than there is today.  Based on prior Steenburgh winter records, we could use 16" of snow water equivalent, but that is such a BORING number.  A 100" snow depth is a major psych point and even in metric, 2.5 meters sounds pretty good.

3. There can be good skiing before a 100" base and after February 10th.  Yes yes.  I know this.  I have skied great powder while bottom-feeding in October and on Memorial Day weekend when we are almost dealing with a summer solstice sun.  The point here is to isolate the period with both a fat snowpack AND a low angle sun for powder preservation.  Yes, I know that high north aspects can preserve snow pretty good later than February 10th, but I tell you there is something obvious that happens around February 10th.  Skin up Flagstaff from Alta on a sunny powder day in mid January and compare with mid February.  I tell you, you can FEEL the difference, and on the following day in February you will feel the sun crust.

Enter your complaints below so I can address them one-by-one, but don't expect me to yield.  And be sure to get out and enjoy the almost 2-month Steenburgh winter this season!

21 comments:

  1. Here's a complaint (you asked)... "Steenburgh Winter" (SW!!) could use a new name. Naming ideal Wasatch pow skiing conditions (IPSC) after yourself was almost funny 15 or so years ago, but now it's just cringey. But at least you admit that you're a narcissist!

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  2. The 15:00 ob still has that 100" depth and a much more reasonable interval.

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  3. I was watching all morning at work

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    1. Following up on the comments above, that is also cringey ha ha.

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    2. I say Hell Yeah! Naming it after yourself makes total sense. You're the one that's helped us see the importance of this milestone. Thanks. And Hell Yeah, this has been the best start to winter I can remember in my short 28 years in Utah.

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  4. Long time reader here, I remember your first Steenburgh Winter post! As a skier whose home mountain is Sunlight Ski Resort which has probably never hit 100 inches, I'm a little jealous. I'm also, however, SO PSYCHED y'all hit it this early! Quick question: what would be your guess as to when you hit it in the epic winter of 1983/84?

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    1. Hard to say. Alta has had a bit over 200" of snow this year. In that season, Alta-Guard had 143.5" in November and 244.5" in December. I don't have access to records in October. There are a few other years in there that look to have a pretty fat early season snowpack as well.

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  5. Where do you find your data on base depth by date? A friend and I could find other data on alta.com but not that information.

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  6. mesowest.utah.edu has quite a bit of collins data available. It is possible to go to http://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/meso_base.cgi?stn=cln and access past data using the "change date/time" link on the left. I typically will do that and then plot up data in 30 day chunks as a graphical display. Slow, but it works.

    It is also possible to download data from synopticdata.com.

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  7. This may be my favorite part of all time!

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  8. Oops, that was supposed to say my favorite POST of all time!

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  9. If planetary waves can be named "Rossby" waves, then I think it is fitting for the phenomena of deep powder at Alta to be Steenburgh Winter.

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  10. Stoked! Now if we can just bury this PWL

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  11. Would love to see a post about sun intensity and the Feb 10th date with charts and graphs etc. Probably also has to do with increasing daylight hours. When early season skiing in October and later in February/March/April, you can definitely feel the intensity change! Here's to a great Steenburgh Winter!

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  12. I'm fine with switching to snow water equivalent for when Steenburgh winter starts, still exciting to me with less variables. It will now be interesting to see how low the Collins depth will drop to before the next storm? My guess is it will be in the low 80's before the next storm.

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  13. You can't change it. "Steenburgh Winter" is on my calendar from 1/12 to 2/10, recurring annually.

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  14. Entering my 44 th season at Alta/Bird and after ski patrolling at Alta for most of the 80’s and 90’s, I feel compelled to comment. Yeah, we hit ( just barely ) 100”- for a few hours. 95” the next morning. 48 hours later ( as I write) Alta is reporting 84”. It will be in the seventies tomorrow or the next day. The surface of the snowpack can rise and fall greatly with the endless tug of war between deposition and settlement ( plus, don’t forget sublimation/melting ). Rocks do not settle. When a ski area claims 500” average annual snowfall, it is a marketing tool which negates almost all settlement. We have never had a 42 foot deep snowpack around here. Settlement matters. Snow/ water equivalent is a better measurement, but the only number that really matters is total depth (actual base we are skiing/riding). That best reflects the quality of the skiing experience both in area and in the backcountry. Total depth is even more important for backcountry skiing- both for quality turning/ coverage and even more so for stability and safe travel. Thin snow pack equals facets and PWL. I fully agree that real quality skiing winter ends ( except for corn skiing!)
    by March 1st, if not by mid Feb. for the same reasons you state ( longer days and much more sun damage). Without a good Nov. / Dec., it’s pretty hard to have a Steenburgh Winter. We always had the 100” party at Alta when there was a hundred inch base after the storm had settled. If this is a Steenburgh Winter, it is just barely so. We have a long way to go this year to come even close to the ‘83/‘84 season. There was around 120” (settled out ) on the ground this week in 1983. We are off to a great start- I hope we continue and have an Analog Man Winter ( when it just keeps dumping all season). Here’s to this being the fattest year EVER! Thanx Jim for all you do, always great info! Keep up the good work......

    Sincerely, Analog Man

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  15. I love it. Saw the 100” at Collins and immediately thought - Hey, it’s Steenburgh winter!

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  16. ANY Changes to the naming of Steenburgh winter and I am moving out of the SLC.....

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