Powder Days Are Here Again!

The Telluride Watch
Published: 1/31/06

By Martinique Davis

Adrenaline-laced hoots and hollers from the powder-choked mouths of gleeful skiers and riders reverberated across the slopes this week, as 25 inches of fresh snow blanketed the Telluride Ski Resort over the past seven days.

The arrival of those mostly unanticipated inches have put the Telluride Ski Resort's base total close to the golden” amount of 60 inches. After Friday night's unexpected 13 inches, an additional four on Saturday night and then another four inches on Sunday, the base total at the top of the mountain now hovers around 59 inches.

Telluride Ski Resort Snow Safety Director Craig Sterbenz confirmed that the recent storms favored the Telluride region.

It's all about orographics,” he said, referring to the weather phenomenon that occurs when moist air is lifted as it moves over a mountain range, forming orographic clouds that bring precipitation. A little cloud formed right over us… We were blessed.”

Telluride received the greatest snow accumulations of the week compared to other ski resorts in the region. As of Monday, Durango Mountain Resort's base snow total was 43 inches at its deepest, with two inches of new snow. The Wolf Creek Ski Area, traditionally known as the powder pocket of southwest Colorado, was reporting a 52-54 inch base, with one inch of new snow. Taos Ski Valley received four inches in the last week and has a 37-inch base of mostly manmade snow.

This weekend's storms, plus the two nice storm events we received last week, really bumped up our totals quite a bit,” Sterbenz said. Other ski resorts across the state are reporting similar base totals to Telluride: Aspen Mountain has a 55-60 inch base, Crested Butte has a 51-63 inch base, and Vail sits at 63 inches.

Colorado's northernmost resorts boast the highest snow totals of the state so far this season, with Steamboat Springs taking the top spot with 73-95 inches.
Although January snow accumulations have not yet been calculated, Sterbenz speculates that snow totals for the month are likely above normal.

We haven't yet added it all up, but I would guess that we're above average for the month,” he said.

Reprinted with permission from The Telluride Watch.