What happened at the 2021 DC Peaks 50mile race?

I work for race directors and climbing/skiing teams as a meteorologist in mountain settings, so i’m very familiar with how this process works. The objective is risk management. My approach is to put a spotlight on any potential bad weather, alert the race director, and then runners get an email blast with a forewarning so they can pack extra gear. There is responsibility with both parties. Runners also need to monitor the forecast weather on their own.

iRunFar’s Alex Potter put together an informative article with more race details and even video/photos from race participants in the snow.

If you only looked at standard point-and-click NOAA forecasts you likely missed the snow risk for 10/9/2021. More in-depth meteorological analysis supported at least six inches of snow in the Wasatch. That’s a clear signal that extra gear was necessary.

Check out the DC Peaks website for more info.