Maybe you’ve been chilling under a rock. Maybe you’ve taken the scared ostrich option and stuck your head in the sand. Maybe you’re afraid of jinxing The Storm. Well I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this: You do not have the power to control the weather.
But you already knew that. If you controlled the weather, you would have made it snow a lot more by this point in the season.
What you can control is how you react to the weather. And over the next couple days, I personally might be reacting with some borderline weird shrieks of joy.
I’m no meteorologist…so are a couple weather snippits I’ve come upon. I call this this Storm Foreplay. Let’s hope we don’t end up with blue balls.
JH Avalanche 5pm Situation Update
FORECAST FOR Wednesday, January 18, 2012 :
A major winter storm will impact the region on Wednesday and Thursday. There is a lot of moisture in the system and it will be accompanied by strong winds and increasing temperatures. Winds will increase dramatically tonight and continue to be quite strong during this period. By Thursday Night two to three feet of new snow will accumulate in the mountains and 9 to 18 inches will fall at the lower elevations. Areas of blowing snow will be common at all elevations. Blizzard conditions are likely in the mountains. Snow is expected to increase in intensity overnight and will likely exceed rates of an inch per hour in the mountains on Wednesday afternoon. New snow accumulations of around three inches are expected in the mountains by morning with another nine inches of accumulation by evening. Temperatures at 10,500 feet will rise from near zero overnight into the teens by evening. Winds will be west-southwest at 25 to 40 with gusts to 60 miles per hour. Strong west-southwest winds will create new soft slabs on slick old snow surfaces. During the day blowing snow will rapidly load warmer denser snow onto colder lighter snow and create unstable conditions. Small natural avalanches are likely to occur in steep avalanche starting zones and will become larger as the day progresses and the avalanche activity becomes more widespread. New slab depths may exceed two feet during the afternoon and in some areas could step down and entrain older snow. The general avalanche hazard is expected to rapidly increase to CONSIDERABLE and may be HIGH at the upper elevations by the end of the day. Expert terrain analysis skills and conservative decisions are essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain.
TREND : Strong winds and periods of intense snowfall will create very dangerous avalanche conditions. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.
MountainWeather.Com Jackson Hole Forecast:
3-Day Weather Forecast Description
Today: Mostly Cloudy to Partly Cloudy & Breezy, with light snow showers. High: mid teens Tonight: Mostly Cloudy, winds increasing, with snow. Low: mid teens
Wednesday: Cloudy, Windy, & Snowy. High: near 25 Wednesday Night: Cloudy, Windy, & Snowy. Low: near 25
Thursday: Cloudy, Windy, & Snowy. High: around 32 Thursday Night: Cloudy & Breezy with some more snow. Low: near 25
Weather Outlook for Days 4 to 7
Snowfall Totals through Saturday…(keeping in mind that snow settlement will occur), should be around 1 to 2 feet in valley locations, and around 4 feet in the higher elevations in the mountains. Some lighter snowfall will continue, especially in the mountains, into early next week.
NOAA, Riverton Office:
Fingers crossed…not that it will change anything!