- Juneau gets its forecast center back
- Early season slide in Summit County, Colorado
- Good Press for The Fine Line
- Bacteria discovered as snow nucleation instigators
Early season mayhem continues - thin snowpack, crusts, bad skiing. But, for the people of Juneau, early season has finally brought them a forecaster. Tom Mattice from Colorado replaces Bill Glude who previously performed that job. If the Juneau forecasts take the same spin that they did previously, these forecasts will be more inclined toward the safety of homeowners than recreationalists.
But Colorado has not even started their forecasts for the season yet, which of course doesn't stop Mother Nature. I was sad to hear that probably the first avalanche injuries of the season occurred on Torrey's Peak in Colorado, with three climbers taking a 1000-foot ride. According to the article, the avalanche occurred in a windslab via human trigger.
Which means it's time to dust off those beacons, get new batteries, and, if you need to, get yourself some edumacation. The Rocky Mountain Sherpas are doing their part by touring with their excellent film The Fine Line. The film has gotten lots of well-deserved good press, which I love seeing as well.
Of course, the science of snow formation continues to be a great mystery despite the fact that we love, fear, and ski upon snow all the time. When it only consists of supercooled water, snow needs something to freeze around, which can be dust, pollution, or....bacteria? Interestingly enough, scientists have just discovered that ice-nucleating bacteria, often the cause of plant ailments, can also serve as the best snow nucleation material known. Does this mean Nevada will stop shooting silver oxide into the air and start shooting pathogens instead?
XML Feeds