January outlook calls by NWS not good for ski areas

January outlook calls by NWS not good for ski areas

Dec. 23, 2000

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

The long range forecast for the month of January doesn’t look good for the Southwest United States.

Warmer-than-average temperatures and below normal moisture is what the National Weather Service is saying for this part of the country.

The ski areas in the Four Corners have received good snowfall during late November and early December. The snows stopped for about two weeks and then there has been only scattered snow showers recorded until now.

But the NWS is calling for increasing clouds on Christmas Eve, Sunday, Dec. 24, with a good chance for snow on Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25. The snow showers should continue Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 27-28, as well. And then another shot of snow is expected by next weekend.

Still good crowds are expected throughout the holiday period.

Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort, located about 25 miles north of Durango on U.S. Highway 550, reports 37 inches at mid-way with 30 inches at the top on man-made and natural snow.

Purgatory’s new mult-million dollar high-speed six-passenger lift, orginally scheduled to open Dec. 15 but was postponed because of construction delays , opened Friday, Dec. 22, just in time for the holidays.

An opening ceremony, with a ribbon cutting and dedication of the lift, was held at 9 a.m. and then the lift opened to the public immediately after that. Dec. 22. The superlift is 6,553 feet long and runs at 1,000 feet per minute. It stretches from Purgatory Village to the summit, serving the resort’s most popular beginner, intermediate and expert terrain as well as the Powderhouse Restaurant and the snowboard halfpipe and terrain park. The Purgatory Village Express replaces Chair lift no. 1 which was a conventional double-riblet lift that was installed in 1965 and has been a workhorse for 35 seasons.

Telluride Resort, located about 65 miles north of Cortez on Colorado Highway 145, reports 35 inches at the mountain top and 33 inches at mid-mountain. The recent storms have allowed the resort to open 57 of 67 runs for 92 percent of the mountain now open. All 12 lifts are operating.

Wolf Creek Ski Area, located east of Pagosa Springs at the top of the Wolf Creek Pass on U.S. Highway 160, reports 68 inches at the summit and 56 inches at mid-mountain on all-natural snow. A total of 50 trails are open (100 percent) with six lifts operating. The Water Fall Area is open but Alberta Peak and Knife Ridge were closed for the past couple days but could open depending on current weather conditions.

Hesperus Ski Area opened Dec. 16 for the first time in nearly two-and-half years. It did not open at all during the 1999-2000 season and only was open 20 days during February of the 1998-1999 season. Hesperus reports 20 inches at mid-way.

The Chicken Creek Ski Area (cross-country), located just north of Mancos, has some snowcover but more is needed.