This Better Be Good
I was reflecting on last season the other day, and the one word that came to mind was meh. As in mediocre. It was so meh that my powder boards only made it on the hill once, and that barely knocked the dust off the top sheets. But hey, that was what was predicted by most forecasters. This year, however, things look to be much more favorable, at least according to most of the winter weather prognosticators. And they better be right, cuz if not, I’m going to start my days on the hill by slamming two shots of Fireball and mainlining a twenty-ounce Pumpkin Spice Latte. No, my friends, the amount of quality pow-pow we receive this year better be akin to the copious volume of baby oil found at a P-Diddy party. Just sayin….
I’m a big fan of science and tend to have a ton of confidence in folks that have a PhD after their last names. These guys are the real geniuses—and not the “stable” kind. My brilliant homies over at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have really given me a reason to flash a toothy grin as I look forward to the upcoming season. Using detailed scientific data and backed by months of weather pattern analysis, the dream team at NOAA is predicting below average temperatures and above average snowfall for our region: “La Niña is favored to develop in September-November (71% chance), and is expected to persist through March 2025.” Although projected as a weak La Niña, this type of weather occurrence usually results in plenty of snow for the mountains of the Northwest. If they could arrange this to occur on a consistent basis right before the weekends this year, I would appreciate it.
Now I don’t normally give much thought to what the weird pseudo-scientists have to say when it comes to predicting the weather for winter, mainly because their predictions are not rooted in science and tend to be split year in and year out. While this season appears to be no different, I will give the chaps who are employed by the Farmers’ Almanac some props for being somewhat aligned with the professional meteorologists when it comes to their prognostication. Evidently, they decided to lay off on the bong hits and magic mushrooms long enough to consult their crystal ball, which told them that the Northwest will experience a “chilly and wet” winter this year. I dig the chilly part. The wet part? Not so much. Keep that crap over on the west side, unless that means white goodness in our mountains.
Conversely, the Debbie Downers from the Old Farmers’ Almanac really did their best to temper expectations this year, forecasting a “mild, snowy” winter for the mountains of Northeast Washington. Call me crazy, but mild and snowy don’t exactly go together, now do they? Just pick one, preferably the latter. I’ve had my fill of mild winters, and really can’t afford to go Total Wine and Starbucks on a weekly basis this winter.
Brad Northrup is a former ski racer, coach, and ski industry professional. He doesn’t even like Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
