Wee for SWE

A necessary and sufficient condition for touring is snow. Or some approximation of snow, be it ice (the lower angle kind), a glacier’s dirty tongue, or just a skiff of fresh over anything approximating a firm substrate, which includes frozen soil, duff, or modest downfall. An imperative here is a glass half full. Low snow locally, and it does seem historically low, can be fun, or, at a minimum, a learning opportunity. Maybe it is time to experiment with an approach line to that sliver of north-facing snow in the alpine. Or, make a game of it, as we did about a month ago, and attempt to go top-to-bottom on the local backcountry spot without removing skis. It was doable, given the requirement that speeds be kept to a crawl in the denser hemlock forest; it’s easier to step and slide over downed logs that way. 

But hear us out, there is no way we are closing out December, and an entire year, for that matter, with negative talk about what was and what could be. And with that, let’s jump into the snow water equivalent (SWE) from the 30,000-foot view.

Let’s start with the PNW (and more). Holy &^%$! Remember, glass is half full. But, so much red right now. And that red extends in a long and pervasive pattern south and east, covering a wide swath of the West. Let’s be clear, it’s rained a ton in the PNW. Which is to say we are just on the wrong side of freezing. And for at least this upcoming week, high pressure reigns. Our advice is to embrace it all, find some planar, firm panels, and make smiles. It obviously helps, if you are at lower elevations, to have a dedicated pair of rock skis. Or, if your local resort is kind enough to offer an uphill route, go take advantage of that. 

Further south, in the Sierra, the SWE looks far more promising than only a few weeks ago: Close proximity to the Pacific and some mega orographic lift will do that. Parts of the Eastern Sierra look downright ample, which, of course, bodes well for those with some time off this spring eyeing steep skiing or one of the classic traverses in that part of the world. 

The bright spots in all this are the improving and downright healthy-looking (generally) trends in the Northern Rockies. Montana, at the basin-wide level, looks very promising. Does this translate into ideal skiing (read as powder all day, every day)? It does not. But at least they are likely not hopscotching down a local luge run, dodging all sorts of nature’s obstacles. And, perhaps, they’ve shelved rock skis for the time being. The same can be said of portions of Wyoming—feast of famine, call it what you want, but much of the state’s mountainous zones are out of the red, with only a small portion of yellow (70-89% of the historic median) remaining.

Let’s allow the colors to communicate.

Idaho? It looks like a mixed bag, and a mixed bag of Skittles, at that. As we’ve heard a local smokejumper in McCall say, “It’s hard saying not knowing.” Again, like most places, it might take an adventurous spirit to grovel around and suss out where the good snow is.   

Wyoming looks like it is trending in a very positive direction, which, for what it is worth, will keep us entertained by @tetonpassholes. (This is not a THR endorsement to disregard driving restrictions on Teton Pass.)

Colorado, it does not look kind. Better, generally, than the PNW? Pick your poison—but still unkind for those looking to get RAD in the Rado.

Utah? Ouch. 

New Mexico? Double whammy. 

Up north in Alaska, a bit more of the same when it comes to optimism…you gotta have it. The trends there have turned a bit drier regarding SWE as December has played out. Alex Lee, our local in Anchorage, enjoyed a rather cold day recently at Turnagain Pass (double digits below zero), where he texted, “It’s only like -10.” That beats the low 40s at 6300 feet outside Bend, Oregon.

Which leaves Canada. We’ve heard this statement too much as of late, “Dude, I couldn’t swing a trip to Revy, I had to work.” It is good to know that with all the posting on the Gram about ideal “condies”, or finding ideal condies when it’s high and dry elsewhere, some have to make do with work. This touring habit is not cheap. But yes, it is true, good fortune continues to fall on our brethren up north. Good on them. With that noted, and with an eye toward the dense blues and turquoise further east, Vancouver Island, the Fraser, and the South Coast have a lot in common with the pattern just south of the border in Washington and Oregon. We feel your pain. 

Yes, it is also excellent regarding SWE on the East Coast. That noted, if someone has data for SWE totals in portions of the east, please send us an email. Until then, we’ll continue hunting around.