Friday, May 27, 2011

Heavy Snows in Western U.S.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110527/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_memorial_day_snow
  begin quote.
DENVER – Ski resorts are bustling with activity. A key highway into Yellowstone is closed because parts of the road have seen more than 25 feet of snow. And campgrounds are feverishly removing snow from campsites to clear the way for visitors.
Welcome to Memorial Day weekend in much of the West.
The traditional kickoff of the summer season will have a decidedly wintry feel in the Rocky Mountains, as well as California's Sierra Nevada, because of a lingering record snowfall.
Epic snowpack in parts of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and California is forcing many tourists to abandon the annual rites of launching their summer holidays with a camping trip. Others plan to take advantage of prolonged skiing and snowshoeing this strange spring. end quote.

I called my friend who lives in Mt. Shasta. I said, "Are you still skiing?" And he said, "Oh Yeah. I skied up on the mountain two days ago." (Though the ski  lift has closed there he is talking about skiing with Mountaineering Cross Country metal edged skis). This is the kind of year we are having in the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, The Cascade Mountain and places like Lake Tahoe on the California- Nevada Border. In fact on a case by case basis I hear several ski lifts are open various places or are set to reopen around the 4th of July because of 12 to 20 feet of snow being there even then. So, it is also likely like it says in the above quotes that many campgrounds in snow country might never open this year in National and State parks and many trails and roads may not be passable in the summer time like they usually are throughout the western States. So, if you are traveling be sure to call ahead regarding snow conditions for wherever you want to go to this summer in the western states from Yellowstone to Lake Tahoe to Mt. Whitney to  Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier on the west coast of the U.S. I just looked at a weather report for Mt. Shasta and they expect the snow level to drop to 3500 feet to 4000 feet by Saturday night. That is an  exceptionally low altitude for for snow falling this time of year.


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