Category: Hiking/Mountaineering

Winter forecast 2022-2023

Tomer’s Take: Rare triple-dip La Nina. Multivariate ENSO Index strongest since 2010. Warm blob is back but for how long? Abnormally warm and dry Fall season across the West. Late start to Winter. Large Western ridge of high pressure September 2022 – March 2023. Overall, target PNW, British Columbia, Banff Area, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana […]

Merbok takes aim at Alaska; Weekend events in Colorado

Tomer’s Take: Remnants from Typhoon Merbok to bring 50ft seas and 70mph wind gusts to Alaska. In Colorado, remnants from Kay and a jet streak keep rain/snow and gusty wind going in the Central and Northern Mountain zones 9/15-9/17. Pikes Peak Ascent/Marathon and Run Rabbit Run events occur this weekend. Current Setup Water vapor satellite […]

Weekend events; Loveland tests snow guns

Tomer’s Take: Remnant tropical moisture slides across Colorado 9/14-9/15. Flash flooding possible. Light snow on the 14ers on 9/14, 1-3 inches. Lingering moisture with a jet streak on 9/16 and 9/17 north of I-70. Jet streak appears weaker today with only a glancing blow to Colorado. Drier, sunny, and gusty on 9/18. Pikes Peak Ascent […]

Andrea Sansone finishes Nolan’s sub 46 hours setting new FKT

Andrea Sansone set new supported woman’s Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Nolan’s14 course going south to north in 45:52 between 9/10-9/11. Prior supported woman’s FKT (10/3/2020): Sabrina Stanley 48:49. The overall FKT is held by Joey Campanelli at 41:00 on 7/2/2020. Nolan’s requires athletes complete fourteen 14ers in less than 60 hours. This equates […]

Smoke, tropical remnants, weekend events

Tomer’s Take: The tropical remnants from Kay arrive in Colorado Tuesday afternoon (9/13) and continue through 9/15. This precipitation might end as light snow on the 14ers late on 9/14. Smoke goes away on 9/14 as the storm systems sweep the atmosphere. Then a jet streak arrives with wind and lingering rain shower chances north […]

Tropical remnants, Pikes Peak, Run Rabbit Run

Tomer’s Take: Double trouble with a Pacific low and Tropical remnants this week. Weekend pattern dominated by a jet streak and fast-moving cold fronts over Colorado. The bulk of rain/snow move through Colorado on 9/14-9/15. Smoke forecast looks good for the weekend (see below). Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon 9/17-9/18. Run Rabbit Run 9/16-9/17. Current […]

Tropical remnants 9/13-9/17

Tomer’s Take: Mega High breaks down 9/9. Wildfire smoke circulating. Tropical remnants fill the void 9/13-9/17. Light mountain snow possible. Run Rabbit Run forecast below. Current Setup You can see where the tropical remnants will come from in on this water vapor satellite image. Wildfire Smoke Smoke is circulating from wildfires in ID, OR, and […]

Mega High then tropical remnants

Tomer’s Take: All-time temperature records continue to fall. Mega high pressure dome running 3 standard deviations above 20-year average. Core of the heat is CA, NV, UT. High breaks down on 9/9. A small high pressure dome re-builds 9/11-9/12. Tropical remnants could affect the West on/after 9/12 through 9/17. After this Mega High breaks down […]

Monsoon done for the season in Colorado with one wrinkle

Tomer’s Take: Southerly flow is drying up and Monsoon appears done for the season in Colorado. Isolated afternoon mountain t-storms are still possible at times. But, these t-storms will be fewer, weaker, and lack the torrential rain we experienced in July and most of August. Monsoon Season in Colorado normally runs July-August. This season featured […]

Sarah Strattan recounts her summit of K2

Sarah Strattan lives, trains, and teaches in Colorado. Making Turns…A Ski Attempt and Summit of K2, Pakistan June 12, 2022 – August 12, 2022 Guest post written by Sarah Strattan This summer I traveled to Pakistan to climb and potentially ski K2, the second tallest mountain in the world. Many people have heard about the […]