Module 11 | Scenario 1: Ski Area Weather

  • Due Mar 30 at 11:59pm
  • Points 7
  • Questions 7
  • Available after Mar 17 at 12am
  • Time Limit None
  • Allowed Attempts 2

Instructions

Overview

Many ski areas collect and provide weather observations, sometimes at multiple locations. They provide these observations on their websites and to organizations that provide weather observations throughout the United States. One such organization is MesoWest, which is run by the University of Utah and provides access to many ski area observing sites, including graphical displays that allow skiers to examine trends in key variables like temperature, wind, and snowfall. After completing this learning activity, you will be able to access and use ski-area weather observations at the MesoWest website.

Instructions

Utilize the information located in the Scenario and Key Concepts to answer the questions located in this activity. You may refer to your textbook and notes to help you work through the assigned questions if desired. You will have two attempts to complete this activity. The highest grade will automatically be recorded. Once you have submitted your activity for a second time, you will be able to see the correct answers. Discuss with your instructor if you have questions about your answers or feedback.

  • Activity is due Sunday, by 11:59 p.m. MT

Submission and Assessment Guidelines

  • You will complete the quiz associated with this scenario within Canvas. For help on how to take a quiz in Canvas, review How do I take a quiz.
  • This learning activity is worth 7 points toward your final grade.

Scenario

You're an avid skier living in the Salt Lake Valley and before heading up to the mountains you want to know what the weather is like to decide where to ski, what to wear, and which pair of your quiver of skis to bring.

Key Concepts

a. Ski resort weather observations

Weather monitoring is critical for ski area operations including snowmaking, avalanche mitigation, grooming, lift safety, and customer service. Many resorts install and operate weather stations, sometimes at multiple locations. Depending on needs, these stations could collect data on one or more of the following variables: temperature, dewpoint, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation (snow water equivalent), total snow depth, or new snow depth (sometimes referred to as "interval" snow).  

Many resorts provide these observations publicly, and they are integrated and provided on the MesoWest website run by the University of Utah. The provided table summarizes the weather observing sites at major northern Utah resorts provided by MesoWest. Real-time observations can be accessed by clicking on the ID (note that during the offseason or during power or communications outages, data may be unavailable).    

Table of Observing Sites, Elevations (ft), and Identification Codes
Observing Site Elevation (ft) ID
Alta-Base 8,560 ATB
Alta-Collins 9,662 CLN
Alta-Collins Top 10,443 ALT
Alta- Mt. Baldy 11,066 AMB
Snowbird SNOTEL 9,177 SBDU1
Solitude Base 8,200 SOLBS
Solitude Moonbeam 8,750 SOLMB
Solitude Apex 9,061 SOLAP
Solitude Summit 9,641 SOLSM
Solitude Powderhorn 9,888 SOL
Solitude Honeycomb Peak 10,488 SOLHP
Brighton SNOTEL 8,765 BRIU1
Canyons Lookout 8,297 CLK
Canyons Condor 8,999 CCD
Canyons Daybreak 9,250 CDYBK
Canyons 9990 9,990 C99
Park City Base 7,000 PCB
Park City Payday Top 8,275 PCPD
Park City Top of Crescent 8,700 PCR
Park City Bonanza Top 9,200 PCZ
Park City Silverlode Top 9,210 PCSL
Thaynes Canyon SNOTEL 9,247 THCU1
Park City Summit 9,300 PCT
Deer Valley Burns 7,333 DVE
Deer Valley Ruby 8,300 SNV
Deer Valley Ontario 9,100 DVO
Deer Valley Mount Baldy 9,347 MBY
Deer Valley Empire Peak 9,570 EMPUT
Sundance Aspen Grove 6,880 UTASG
Sundance Mid Mountain 7,450 SNM
Timp Divide SNOTEL 8,170 TIMU1
Sundance Arrowhead 8,250 SND
Snowbasin Base 6,316 SBE
Snowbasin Middle Bowl 7,402 SNI
Snowbasin Wildcat 7,703 SWI
Snowbasin Boardwalk 7,993 SBBWK
Snowbasin Straw Tower 15 8,372 SBT15
Snowbasin Straw Top 9,202 SB2
Snowbasin Ogden Peak 9,570 OGP
Powder Mountain 2 8,460 UTPW2
Powder Mountain 8,897 UTPWD

b. MesoWest tabular display

MesoWest provides data in tabular and graphical forms. This is an example of a Mesowest tabular display, which summarizes the last 24 hours of observations. The latest observations, 24-hour extremes, and 24-hour precipitation (snow water equivalent) are at the top. This is followed by a tabular summary of all observations in the past 24 hours, with the most recent on top. This site collects four types of observations: temperature, precipitation (snow water equivalent), total snow depth, and snow interval (i.e., new snow).  

Mesowest Tabular Display Example

 

The Collins site is especially useful for its snow observations, which are automatically collected by devices known as ultrasonic snow depth sensors. The total snow depth is the depth of snow on the ground. At the beginning of the 24-hour period, the total snow depth was 121 inches. It reached a peak of 130 inches before decreasing to 128 inches at the end of the 24-hour period. The decrease at the end of the period likely reflects the setting of new snow at the top of the snowpack.  

The interval snow at the beginning of the 24-hour period was 4 inches. It increased to 11 inches at 5 a.m., when it dropped abruptly to 0. This indicates that someone wiped the board on which the measurement is taken clean. It then increased to 5 inches as new snow fell on the board. At 1600 hours (4 PM), the interval snow jumped to 18 inches. That is a spurious measurement as 13 inches in 1 hour is unrealistic at Alta. Meteorological measurements are not perfect, so beware of this possibility.

c. MesoWest graphical display

Graphs showing changes in weather variability with time are known as Meteograms. This figure is a Meteogram from Ogden Peak above Snowbasin ski resort on a day with a strong cold frontal passage. Time increases to the right and I've identified the frontal passage with a vertical blue line.

Meteogram from Ogden Peak during a frontal passage

The top graph includes the temperature in red. Prior to the frontal passage, the temperature for several hours was between 36 and 41 ˚F. After the front passed, it abruptly dropped and eventually fell to about 12˚F at the end of the period. That's a big change!

The bottom graph includes the sustained wind (red), wind gusts (green), and wind direction (orange circles). Ahead of the front, the wind was southerly, with sustained winds as high as about 65 miles per hour and gusts to 88 miles per hour. After the front passed, the flow shifted from westerly to southwesterly and the sustained winds and gusts decreased.  

Citations

MesoWest

  • Citation: MesoWest. (n.d.). States. University of Utah. 

Key Concepts:

Images:

Key Concepts

  • Quiz
  • Question 1:
    • Citation: MesoWest. (n.d.). Weather conditions for UT224. University of Utah. 
  • Question 2:
    • Citation: MesoWest. (n.d.). Weather conditions for CLK. University of Utah. 
  • Question 3:
    • Citation: MesoWest. (n.d.). Past weather conditions for CLN. University of Utah. 
  • Question 4:
    • Citation: MesoWest. (n.d.). Past weather conditions for CLN. University of Utah. 
  • Question 5:
    • Citation: MesoWest. (n.d.). Weather conditions for SBBWK. University of Utah. 
  • Question 6:
    • Citation: MesoWest. (n.d.). Weather conditions for SBE. University of Utah. 
  • Question 7:
    • Map Citation: Google. (n.d.). [Google map of Reynold’s Peak].  
    • Citation: MesoWest. (n.d.). Weather conditions for REY. University of Utah. https://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/meso_base_dyn.cgi?product=&past=1&stn=REY&unit=0&time=LOCAL&day1=9&month1=02&year1=2023&hour1=0
 
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