Remember Remember The 15th Of December

The 15th of December will be a day to remember in the 2017/2018 season. There wasn't epic skiing but two important things happened on the 15th. First, the omega block that sat over the province for what felt like 3 months of inversions finally dissipated and second, our first snowfall after the drought was recorded. While the high pressure sat above the province surface hoar had been developing and gathering size leading up to the December 15th snow event.  The size of the surface hoar varies but in most places is quite large and was measured from 30 mm up to 70mm in some locations. This surface hoar developed below the inversion elevation and is generally found below 1700-1800m. This is something to think about for the next while and with all this new recent snow it's important to consider your typical go-to storm skiing zones. Here are two videos on surface hoars formation and some snowpack trends when dealing with surface hoar.  Have fun, be safe and make the right choices. Patience and proper assessment when dealing with this layer in areas below 1700-1800m for the next while should be at the front of everyone's mind.