Hard to call this a powder update, but here’s the latest on the Oregon snow scene as we head into the Holidays.

The bad news is… this weekend. Wet. Warm. Really wet. Whatever gains we made in snowpack Thursday and Friday will be washed away by inches of rain and a snow level as high as many of the Cascade peaks. So let’s just move on, shall we?

Winter begins at 3:03 pm Sunday. Good riddance to a really whacky fall, and time to get on with the business of winter. And right on queue, it looks like good potential to a major Oregon snowfall on Christmas Eve, lasting into Christmas Day.

The snowfall with transit the state from northwest to southeast, with all of Oregon’s mountain ranges getting good snowfall. By Christmas Day the snow level should be as low as 2,000 feet. Amounts should range from about a foot from Mt. Hood south to Mt. Bachelor, and 4 to 8 inches from Mt. Ashland to Anthony Lakes. This should help rebuild the bases.

At this point, it looks like more snowfall over the following weekend, with the snow level staying down around 2,000 to 4,000 feet, and with cold weather staying put between snowfalls.

Looking ahead to New Year’s weekend and beyond, there are indications we may be setting up for more very cold weather, beginning with a heavy, powdery snowfall. I don’t place a ton of confidence in our forecast guidance that far out, the details and timing are likely to change. But it’s encouraging to me to see the models at least trending in that direction. I’m also encouraged by what I don’t see: a repeat of the high snow levels and heavy rains that are coming this weekend.

Keep your powder dry, skiers and riders, because sweet, dry powder will be here before too long.

Happy Holidays and Happy Trails,

Matt Zaffino