December arrives with the dreaded "Rex Block" firmly in charge over the western United States.
A Rex Block is a large scale pattern characterized by high pressure "over" low pressure as is evident in the GFS forecast valid for 0000 UTC 3 December (5 PM MST Wednesday) with an upper-level ridge centered over Oregon and a weak trough off the coast of Baja California.
Rex blocks are named for meteorologist Daniel Rex who published an early article on blocking in 1950.
Given the stability of this pattern, all members of the Utah Snow Ensemble are snow free at Alta-Collins through 0600 UTC 6 December. After that, you can find a few members that try to bring a storm or two to Alta, but most keep us dry.
It's easier to forecast the onset of a block than its demise, so perhaps the odds will ever be in our favor as we approach 10 December, but for now anticipate dry conditions, valley inversions, and faceting snow on shady aspects.
Someone has to explain the mental condition that makes people sit in cars for 3 plus hours for 22in base in big/little.
ReplyDeleteExpensive lift tickets and reservation systems mean you gotta go. If only we'd already built a gondola!
DeleteHow does a proposed $25 a person gondola ride thin out the traffic? Are you going to pay that daily to get up to the bird or alta?
DeleteAddiction?
DeleteTo answer your question, no.
ReplyDelete