NNE Cold Season Thread 2025-2026

[#NoPoles]

Currently temp is-15

[J.Spin]

As of this morning we’d picked up 6-7” of snow in the valley from our most recent Clipper, and Bolton Valley was reporting 10” of new snow in the last 48 hours. Based on my tour up at Bolton yesterday afternoon/evening, I knew that all the additional snow that fell overnight was going to create some excellent conditions.

Temperatures were in the single digits F this morning, so I considered touring at Timberline with its lower elevations and typically warmer conditions, as long as the snowpack looked like it was ready. Indeed the base depths and powder seemed fine even down at 1,500’. In terms of powder depths, I was finding 8-12” around 1,500’ at the Timberline Base and roughly 12-16” up near 2,500’. The snow was quite dry (liquid analyses for the storm revealed an average of 4-5% H2O), and that was helpful, because it was deep enough that you needed to be on moderate to steep pitches for good speed. The cold temperatures made the snow even a bit slower, so low-angle areas weren’t enough if you were in untracked powder.

With bright sun and no wind, the temperatures were actually quite comfortable for touring, and the feel was much different than what single digits F feel like with clouds, snowfall, and wind.