The alarm rings. It's still dark outside. You check your phone and...game on. You text your buddies two words that might just be the most thrilling words in any language: Powder Day!
Yes, we wrote the cover line about where to chase storms this winter. No, we don’t actually have any clue. According to our favorite meteorologist, Joel Gratz, long-range forecasts are almost always wrong. “Even if you could predict average snow, people want to ski big storms. You can only predict those 10 days out.” The only forecastable phenomena: El Niño and La Niña, which affect just a handful of resorts. In this year’s weak to nonexistent El Niño cycle, the Southwest might be favored, but it’s anyone’s guess. For early storm warnings, sign up for Gratz’s e-mail alerts at opensnow.com.
Even though predicting large storm cycles is difficult, there are a few places that you can count on for deep snow season after season. Where? So glad you asked.
Cat vs. Heli
SKI magazine editors Joe Cutts and Kimberly Beekman stand off over their preferred methods of pow seeking. We'll let you hear what they have to say and then decide who takes the cake.
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| Cools Cats: Meow |
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| Oooo, you heli skiers are so hardcore. But for those of us who don’t wear short-sleeve baselayers so we can admire our own forearms, cat skiing suits just fine. – K.B. |
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| Best Birds: Heli-Yeah! |
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| Heli skiing is the ultimate ski experience. Sure, there are “heli-quality” mornings at big-vert resorts when the canyon’s closed. But if you’ve got a real powder problem, the only true fix comes with a whiff of aviation fuel. – J.C. |
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| Fat is Sexy: Boys |
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| We've rounded up the best sticks to keep you afloat when you're in deep. | ||
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| Fat is Sexy: Girls |
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| We've rounded up the best sticks to keep you afloat when you're in deep. | ||
