Powder -riffic time in Glacier Valley this week

Are you contemplating? Waiting for a reason? No more questions, its a great weekend to visit Girdwood, Alaska! The snow has been fabulous all week and the temperatures are perfect for being outside, not to cold, and not too warm so the snow is stable. Glacier Valley has received over 14 inches of snow this week, at least 

It has been a powder day every day on the mountain this week. Today western Prince William Sound was under a blizzard warning which has since expired. However, snow stays in the forecast. What slow start to the season? I hope we have all forgotten that by now with this gorgeous white ground cover. Saturday is a wonderful night to take advantage of the conditions since there is night skiing at Alyeska.

Here are some great views to entice you. 

Super fluff snow, this is the winter we want!

The snow did pile up as predicted! It is a gorgeous powder day as it was yesterday. Girdwood has received over 12 inches of snow in the last 24 hours at the base. The snow is dry and fluffy, fun to blow around and flop down into. 

Yesterday evening was not as fun for one spot in particular. I went to Moose Meadows to ski the loop, yet found it more of a snow shoe ski walking trek. I definitely need to wax my skis! And the wet snow all happened in the 15 minutes it took me to walk to the park. Once I stepped down into the Meadows, I was greeted with a stiff westerly wind coming through the pass. It was quite warm, well relatively warm. The temperature had been around 27° most of the day, but by 5 pm it was about 34° with the wind. As a result, the top of the snow became more wet than silky and my skis did not want to slide over the surface. 

This morning and through most of the day it has been around 28°. However, my husband and I have a new temperature gauge. We know when the snow slides off the metal roof on the house behind us the temperature has risen above freezing. At about 3pm I noticed the neighbor’s roof was clear of snow. Sure enough, the snow falling outside was at a faster rate indicating a more liquid content than frozen content. The temperature was at 32° at that time. 

The forecast for Girdwood is temperatures in the high 20’s tonight and then creeping up to mid 30's Thursday. That means there may be rain along the coast. There are high percentage chances of snow and rain for the next two days. Great ski and riding condition, come enjoy more space to yourself during the week on the slopes! Even better, if you are already in Glacier Valley, tonight is Jack Sprat’s burger night. Freshly ground beef with a special theme creation! 

Cold and fresh snow on the ground!

The snow from yesterday continued on through most of the night in Girdwood. The flakes became a little smaller but from my perspective they piled up another 4 inches last night. This morning the temperature at the T in Girdwood has dropped to 19°, unusual considering it is overcast. The forecast is for more snow today. If you are heading out to ski anywhere south of Anchorage today, be sure to check Alaska 511, I am betting the DOT will be looking for and possibly mitigating avalanches. There was a beautiful whisp of a cloud over Alyeska this morning at sunrise seen above. Below are all the revelers and racers enjoying the excellent conditions at Alyeska Resort.

Clouds cleared out today mid-day giving this lovely scene. Perfect day for the Alyeska Cup races. There is a coming blizzard as we have been warned by NOAA. The warning extends Monday night  through Tuesday for western Prince William Sound. Below are the clouds forming again over the Turnagain Arm looking toward Mt. Alpenglow. Moisture returning to south central, look forward to some great snow Tuesday. The second photo below gives a better view of the nice fresh coat of snow on the Kenai Mountains around Hope. Pretty.

Nice dry snow all day in Girdwood

It has been a wonderful day of snow all day long! Perfect dry snow, nice fresh powder snow on the mountain which is perfect for skiing. It was quite a busy day at Alyeska, the Alyeska Cup races were going on, lots of school kids, and ski clubs. But it was well worth it for all of them due to the great conditions. 

The morning started out a little warm at 32°, however it had dropped to 27° by sunset. The snow just keeps falling. Into the night, I would say by night fall the base received at least 6 inches of new snow in the last twenty four hours. For some reason the Alyeska Snow Report on their web site is not listing any snow. But believe me and these pictures, it is snowing. 

Tomorrow is a holiday, I expect a lot of travelers coming to the slopes and back country for some super fun skiing. Be sure to check CNFAIC for back country conditions and Alaska 511 for road conditions.