OT: PSA . If You Plan on Vacationing Out West This Summer

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Don't.

The weather pattern that is sending all the winter weather to the southeast created a massive ridge of high pressure over the entire western US for almost a month. Ski resorts all over from Colorado up to Montana and Washington are maybe 50-70% open. Many are closed.

Some basins are down near 20% of their normal snowpack. The only saving grace is that it hasn't been too warm until this week. The snow is melting this week and this is shaping up to be one of the greatest snow droughts ever recorded. That means we are likely headed for an unimaginable fire season.

We still have 6-7 weeks of potential winter and some big storms could help us play catch-up. But there is no way we get back to normal. As of right now the situation is dire, but it's headed towards catastrophic.

The fires are going to be unreal in Northern Ca, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. That smoke is going to blanket the entire western US. You might get the Colorado and New Mexico smoke all the way down in the south.

 

[FrontRangeDawg]

It has definitely been one of the more depressing years; approaching 2011-2012 levels.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

It has definitely been one of the more depressing years; approaching 2011-2012 levels.

Pretty wild that you say that because the winter of 11/12 for the south was pretty cold and snowy

 

[Xenomorph]

Should do wonders for Lake Mead. **

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

My daughter lives outside Denver and had complained about the lack of snow this winter.

I do think LA has had rainfall records this last few months of 2025. They probably had the gates of all their reseviors open though.



Maybe not

 

[HailStout]

 

[GloryDawg]

Get your lives in order you sinners.

 

[Shmuley]

Don't.

The weather pattern that is sending all the winter weather to the southeast created a massive ridge of high pressure over the entire western US for almost a month. Ski resorts all over from Colorado up to Montana and Washington are maybe 50-70% open. Many are closed.

Some basins are down near 20% of their normal snowpack. The only saving grace is that it hasn't been too warm until this week. The snow is melting this week and this is shaping up to be one of the greatest snow droughts ever recorded. That means we are likely headed for an unimaginable fire season.

We still have 6-7 weeks of potential winter and some big storms could help us play catch-up. But there is no way we get back to normal. As of right now the situation is dire, but it's headed towards catastrophic.

The fires are going to be unreal in Northern Ca, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. That smoke is going to blanket the entire western US. You might get the Colorado and New Mexico smoke all the way down in the south.

View attachment 1176220

Will make a non-ski trip out west soon. Don't give a $h!+ about snow skiing.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

Will make a non-ski trip out west soon. Don't give a $h!+ about snow skiing.

You go up a hill, you go down a hill, up a hill, down a hill. It's a goof. You save more money playing golf.

 

[HailStout]

You go up a hill, you go down a hill, up a hill, down a hill. It's a goof. You save more money playing golf.

Skiing of any sort is amazing.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

My daughter lives outside Denver and had complained about the lack of snow this winter.

I do think LA has had rainfall records this last few months of 2025. They probably had the gates of all their reseviors open though.

View attachment 1176488

Maybe not

seems like if CA gets rain they get mudslides and flooding and if they don't get rain they get fires. I'll take an occasional tornado.

 

[Dawgbite]

We’re doing a western trip in the RV late spring, early summer. Not hitting California but hitting most of the other states in the southwest. Not ruling out returning across the northern plains but I don’t know yet.

 

[PrimeDog]

I don’t know how the ski resorts are but just got back from Rocky Mtn National Park and there was a decent amount of snow up in the elevation. Hiked around and on Bear Lake and much of the trail had 1-2ft of snow off to the sides. Good times.

 

[Pookieray]

We were actually supposed to be heading to Snowshoe WV for a ski outting with our kids this Friday. Instead, my wife is have knee surgery instead from Pickleball. What a bummer!

 

[HotMop]

Going to be a lot of water rationing in Southern California.

 

[FrontRangeDawg]

Will make a non-ski trip out west soon. Don't give a $h!+ about snow skiing.

You may not care about snow-skiing, but I hope you'd like your western environment to have plenty of ponderosa pines, aspens and other flora. No snow in the Rockies means extending droughts that areas of UT, NM, CO and WY haven't fully recovered from and a tremendous increase in forest fires.

Rocky Mountain snow is the water source for the entire ecosystem. It also keeps Phoenix and LA viable.

 

[mcdawg22]

Well shít. I guess I need to go ahead and come up there.

 

[Captain Ron]

Looks like a pattern change coming next mid week which should help quite a bit if it lasts.

 

[HRMSU]

Going to Breck for Spring Break hope we have enough snow for Blues at least. We'll still have fun in the village regardless.

 

[HRMSU]

We were actually supposed to be heading to Snowshoe WV for a ski outting with our kids this Friday. Instead, my wife is have knee surgery instead from Pickleball. What a bummer!

Pickleball.....both my wife and I have jacked our ankles up playing but we strapped those ankle braces on and got back out there. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before the acl goes. Our games are more competitive than friendly.

 

[Pookieray]

Pickleball.....both my wife and I have jacked our ankles up playing but we strapped those ankle braces on and got back out there. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before the acl goes. Our games are more competitive than friendly.

Dr told her that knee injuries amongst middle aged women have increased drastically in the past year due to pickle ball injuries.

 

[Dawgbite]

We bought a place in what is essentially an over 55 neighborhood. You wouldn’t believe the people in here on crutches or knee braces as the result of pickleball. More often than not, it’s always the wife.

 

[DerHntr]

We bought a place in what is essentially an over 55 neighborhood. You wouldn’t believe the people in here on crutches or knee braces as the result of pickleball. More often than not, it’s always the wife.

Them ol’ ladies are all on their knees too much and blaming the pickle**

 

[mcdawg22]

We bought a place in what is essentially an over 55 neighborhood. You wouldn’t believe the people in here on crutches or knee braces as the result of pickleball. More often than not, it’s always the wife.

I just assumed the pickleball crowd migrated from tennis. I wonder why it wasn’t as prevalent when people were playing tennis?

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

I have no pity for anyone who does anything in temps below 50. 70 if it’s cloudy and windy.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I have no pity for anyone who does anything in temps below 50. 70 if it’s cloudy and windy.

I’m the opposite, I love it. I can put on warm clothes and be totally fine in whatever weather.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

I’m the opposite, I love it. I can put on warm clothes and be totally fine in whatever weather.

Nawl dude, i’ve spent winters in IL, ME and South Korea, and summers in Kuwait and Qatar, I’ll take 130 temps with low humidity or 100 temps with high humidity all day long!

 

[gtowndawg]

Headed to Keystone with my boys in March, hopefully the weather patterns turn by then.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Looks like a pattern change coming next mid week which should help quite a bit if it lasts.

It will help a little bit. But I fear it's far too little far too late. It would take record breaking 2nd half of Feb, March, and April to get within earshot of average in the northern rockies. In the rest of the West, no shot. Just for context.

Meteorological winter ends in 3 weeks. There's no snow forecast for Salt Lake City in the next 10 days. Salt Lake City has had 1/10th of an inch of snowfall this winter. A normal winter in Salt Lake City has about 5' of snow.

The spring outlook isn't good either. The Northern Rockies and PNW may come out 60-70% of normal when it's all said and done, but the southern half looks to be royally 17ed.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Nawl dude, i’ve spent winters in IL, ME and South Korea, and summers in Kuwait and Qatar, I’ll take 130 temps with low humidity or 100 temps with high humidity all day long!

You’re nuts. I sweat all summer working in it. I’ll take some cold weather any day.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Going to be a lot of water rationing in Southern California.

If they run out of water, maybe people will finally quit calling some people “wet backs”. Turrible term.

 

[patdog]

We were actually supposed to be heading to Snowshoe WV for a ski outting with our kids this Friday. Instead, my wife is have knee surgery instead from Pickleball. What a bummer!

I remember when pickleball was first marketed as a good sport for older people because there’s not much running. I took one look and said that’s going to be hell on knees. Glad I stayed away.

 

[Dawgbite]

I just assumed the pickleball crowd migrated from tennis. I wonder why it wasn’t as prevalent when people were playing tennis?

It’s not. Primarily it’s people who haven’t done anything in years and to the casual observer pickleball looks like you just stand there and swat a ball with a paddle. Sudden direction changes put stresses on knees that they haven’t felt in forty years and something has to give.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Some welcome news. Long way off from what’s needed but it will certainly help.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Some welcome news. Long way off from what’s needed but it will certainly help.

It's definitely a start. The challenge is going to be can we keep the temps low enough to get snow levels down lower on the mountains as we enter the spring season. Last night we got 14" at the base of the ski resort (6200') 7 miles from my place. We got about an inch of slush in town (5100'.)

This next system coming in is projected to be a doozy. 30" in town and 60" up the resort in the 2nd half of February. That will be big for the Northern Rockies. Colorado and New Mexico still need help though. Not nearly as much forecast down there.