Nearly 30 feet of snow this winter

Snow has fallen 64 out of 79 days since Nov. 21

HOME OF CHAMPAGNE POWDER® SNOW MARKS FOUR-WIRE WINTER

Nearly 5 Feet Falls At Mid-Mountain During First Week of February.

Nearly 30 Feet of Champagne Powder Stacks Up At Ski Area This Season.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

With nearly 30 feet of snow this winter, Steamboat has reached another snow milestone, recording a four-wire winter, when the snow stacks up past the fourth row of fence wires. Yampa Valley ranchers have traditionally measured the severity of a Routt County winter by how high the snow stacks up against their four fence wires.

“With nearly five feet in just the first week of February, as well as over 100 inches in both December and January, Steamboat is definitely showing why it is the home of Champagne Powder snow,” said Chris Diamond, president & chief operating officer for Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. “Powderhounds couldn’t be more delighted.”

This season, snow has surpassed the fourth row of fence wires across the Yampa Valley. As Sureva Towler writes in her book, The History of Skiing at Steamboat Springs, “By January or February of a typical winter, snow will cover the third fence wire, usually 30 inches high.” Four-wire winters, generally more than 350 inches at the resort’s mid-mountain location, were recorded in 1983/84, 1989/90, 1992/93, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1999/2000, 2005/06 and now this year, 2007/08.

The resort is currently in a storm cycle that has yielded 8 inches at mid-mountain and 9 inches at the summit overnight and 58 inches and 57 inches respectively in the past week. In fact, only seven days ago, the resort surpassed the 300-inch mark for the season and now is over the 350-inch mark. With measurable snow recorded over the past 23 consecutive days, Steamboat is reporting a 79-inch base at mid-mountain and 95-inch base at the summit on powder conditions.

Since November 21st, snow has fallen 64 out of 79 days (81%) with 37 of those days recording four or more inches. This season Steamboat has seen 17 inches in October; 23 inches in November; 126 inches in December (3rd snowiest); 129 inches in January (2nd snowiest) and 58 inches in February for a combined total of 353 inches (29.42 feet). Steamboat is currently under a winter storm warning until 6am Friday. The National Weather Service is calling for another storm to bring widespread snow today, with the heaviest snowfall expected to occur late today and early tonight. New snow accumulations are expected to range from 10 to 20 inches with some west and northwest facing slopes receiving as much as 18 to 36 inches.

“Steamboat’s Champagne Powder is legendary world-wide,” said John Kohnke, resort patrol director. “However, the old adage ‘there are no friends on a powder day’, couldn’t be further from the truth. Always ski/ride with others and remember deep snow conditions, tree wells and other natural and manmade obstacles may be encountered at any time, anywhere on the mountain. Always ski and ride with care and be SlopeWise!”

Provided by Steamboat Ski Corporation