News & Announcements from Steamboat Springs

STEAMBOAT-HOME OF CHAMPAGNE POWDER® SURPASSES 300-INCH MARK FOR THE SEASON

Friday, February 1, 2008

Steamboat’s 2007/2008 season cumulative snowfall surpassed the 300-inch mark at mid-mountain this morning due to a storm that has blanketed the resort with 10 inches of fresh Champagne Powder snow overnight.

“Steamboat has some of the best snow in the Rocky Mountains with a summit base that’s reached 90 inches,” said Chris Diamond, president & chief operating officer for Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. “With over 100 inches in both December and January, Steamboat is definitely showing why it is the home of Champagne Powder snow.”

The resort is currently in a storm cycle that has yielded 13” at mid-mountain and 14” at the summit overnight. Between 5am and 9am this morning an additional 10” had fallen at mid-mountain and 4” at the summit for a total of 23” and 18” respectively in the past 28 hours. The resort is reporting a 76-inch base at mid-mountain and 90-inch base at the summit on powder conditions.

Since November 21st, snow has fallen 58 out of 73 days (80%) with 32 of those days recording four or more inches. This season Steamboat has seen 17” in October; 23” in November; 126” in December (3rd snowiest); 129” in January (2nd snowiest) and 10” in February for a combined total of 308” (25.67 feet).

"The word about Steamboat's snow continues to spread as fast as it piles up in the Yampa Valley,” continued Diamond. "This has already been one of those seasons that you hear about and read about for years to come. The local red-blooded powderhounds are even starting to get tired, and, we still have two months to go.”

Steamboat is currently under a winter storm warning until midnight this evening, with heavy snow expected at times. The National Weather Service is calling for another storm to bring more snow to the region Saturday night through Monday, with heavy snowfall again possible.

“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.”

This season, snow has surpassed the third row of fence wires across the Yampa Valley and is fast approaching the fourth. 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.

Provided by Steamboat Ski Corporation

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