Weather
50-year storm shaping up off the coast - meteorologists say winter '09-'10 could be 'the BIG one'
Truckee
Call it what you will: The slump buster. The drought-ender. The fat girl (or guy) who just wants a ride home from the bar.
We call it...
El Nino.
...Because winter '09-'10 is set to be the biggest El Nino winter since '97-'98 — we're gonna kick it off with a Chris Farley classic.
....For those of you who don't habla Espanol, El Nino is ...'THE NINO'.
We know, we know — you hear it every year.
...Some chamber/business alliance/hospitality industry hokum about pending winter being the 'biggest ever'.
(...Actually we prefer when they say 'best ever' — what does 'best' winter mean, exactly? No avalanches and knowing the bartender at Pete's = best. Winter. Ever?!)
But — this one, it's, well, shaping up different. This one's the effin keeper.
This. Is. El Nino.
El Nino comes 'round when the water temps in the Pacific get warm... and they're warming, a lot.
From the National Weather Service: Sea surface temperature anomalies increased for the fifth consecutive month, with above-average temperatures extending across the equatorial Pacific Ocean by the end of May.
Accordingly, the latest weekly SST indices ranged between +0.4o to +0.5°C in all four Niño regions.
Subsurface oceanic heat content anomalies also continued to increase in response to a large area of above-average temperatures near thermocline depth
These surface and subsurface oceanic anomalies typically precede the development of El Niño.
Late 2009 should be considered the heart of the emerging full-blown El Nino event, and it could linger through 2010.
The La Nina (the opposite effect, cooling water temps) has hung 'round the Sierra on and off since about '02-'03 ...producing mind-numbing amounts of one-and-done storm systems and ...not a whole lotta blower.
That's changing now.
...And it has to do specifically with (ready — wait for it) this damn rainy start to summer you all've been complaining about.
Meteorologist Rhett Milne of the National Weather Service Reno office said he and his contemporaries started seeing the waters warm in mid-May when the spate of rain storms first swing through the Basin.
Waters off the coast started to heat up — atypical for this time of year.
“When you do have a quick summer season increase, those do have the potential to become strong, well-constructed El Ninos,” Nevada state climatologist Jeff Underwood told the AP. “The month of June is usually completely quiet. This is a real unusual situation and it's unusual to see this any time in the summer. You have to go back 40 or 50 years.”
BOOM.
Hear that Bodhisattva, it's the 50-year storm at our doorstep.
While climatologists are reluctant to go on record whether they just pre-ordered a pair of Moment Comis... it looks like this, in fact, may be it.
“We're kind of at the tipping point,” Redmond said. “We've had El Ninos that have brought both wet and dry winters to Reno.”
Last El Nino (aforementioned '97-98) brought big, early snow to the basin (100'-plus by mid-January)...the one before that ('83) caused flooding, mudslides and berms of snow in Truckee so big... some locals refer to it as "Tahoe's Last Winter."
Jackass crew spotted in Truckee filming third feature
3/12/10, 4:57 pm, Staff Report
- Rumors are true: Steve-O, Johnny, Bam and Wee Man are all up in the Basin this weekend
- Casino run, Squaw hottubin' and Northstar shredding on tap after giant snow penis rocks Truckee town...
March 13 Weather Report
3/12/10, 11:32 am, Staff Report
- A tiny (TINY) bit of snow maybe(ish) ...Saturday
- Bluebird Sunday ...and then — spring
Do not talk about Dummy Club
3/11/10, 5:41 pm, By Barb Archer
- DP Dummy Downhill March 27
- ...But you didn't hear it here
Patagonia - Ticker - Logo with mts
-Can Rahlves clan repeat at Silver Belt...
3/10/10, 8:49 pm, By A. Pridgen
- Banzai ...Saturday and Sunday March 13 and 14 @ Sugar Bowl
- Part Chinese downhill, part skicross... the classic race was originally one of the West's first
Diamond Peak season pass sale starts Monday
3/09/10, 7:42 pm, By Barb Archer
- That's right - buy your '10-'11 pass ...ski the rest of this season free...
- (Plus, early lift access on pow days)...
Basin Bargain Basement - Putting the IV in Incline Village
3/08/10, 9:07 pm, By A. Pridgen
- That's right ...now you can do what you've always dreamed of...
- Set foot on their beaches and laugh when they ask you (and your 40) to leave: 'sorry, I'm a homeowner in Incline for $150k
Commentary ...When it comes to inch count ...Tahoe is John Holmes
3/07/10, 8:15 am, By A. Pridgen
- Does size matter?!
- Basin resorts seem to think so...
Patagonia - Ticker - Logo with mts
-Paaso earns top spot at FWT Squaw stop ...Ingy finishes 3rd
3/01/10, 8:07 pm, Staff Report
- Jackie out-hucks men
- ...And is top of the podium headed into Freeride World Tour's final stop
Mt. Rose spring pass on sale... it includes next season's pass
2/27/10, 9:09 pm, By Kayla Anderson
- $433 gets you all spring and all of '10-'11 season
- Nice
CR Johnson dies in fall at Squaw Valley
2/24/10, 4:28 pm, Staff Report
- CR Johnson dies in crash at Squaw Valley USA
- Johnson, 26, was wearing a helmet but hit the back of his head on rocks at Light Towers
Natalie Cole headlines Lake Tahoe Music Festival
2/23/10, 9:54 pm, By Kristen Power
- Will they bring back Huey?
- Click inside for tix and full schedule
Patagonia - Ticker - Logo with mts
-Sinatra biopic closer to green light and DiCaprio ...North Shore and Cal Neva wait
2/21/10, 5:34 pm, By A. Pridgen
- DiCaprio hints deal's in the works
- Cal Neva years focal point of all known scripts ...and yes, the North Shore NEEDS some star power
Summer Squaw rumors to fruition... Village acquired by Cushings from broke Intrawest
1/30/10, 8:09 am, Staff Report
- Great - now Squaw has something new to run down...
- ...See what happens Intrawest - Hedge Funds = no-no
And yes ...the KB roundabouts were originally scheduled to be complete this summer
1/27/10, 9:35 pm, Staff Report
- Tahoe Regional Planning Agency board votes unanimously (again) to approve three-lane/roundabouts in KB
- ...Yes, you've heard that (here) before
Restoring Watershed Function Critical for Tahoe
1/22/10, 9:40 pm, By Joanne Marchetta
- ...Another $2.5 bil. to fix Tahoe over the next decade?!
- Sure
Patagonia - Ticker - Logo with mts
-A reminder from Manzanar
1/20/10, 11:18 pm, By David Bunker
- Manzanar...
- The dark side of the Eastern Sierra
Could this be the end of Tahoe Luke... Crooner Stevenson escapes to the Galapagos
1/13/10, 8:55 pm, By Tracy Potter
- Oh man... battle of the cover crooners...
- New guy does new covers... but we're still suckers for 'Take it Easy' as the sun sets and we're sipping a Golden Eagle (le sigh)
Dirt Bag for a Day - North Pt. III
11/29/09, 7:59 pm, By D. Bunker
- So, you wanna see how it all ends...
- (Begins?!)
Dirt Bag for a Day - North Pt. II
11/29/09, 7:46 pm, By D. Bunker
- Dirtbag + Alcan + Moose =
- ...
Patagonia - Ticker - Logo with mts
-Dirt Bag for a Day - North Pt. 1
11/29/09, 7:46 pm, By D. Bunker
- Apologies to the author but 'Relentlessly North' made the pics too small...
- While you were sleeping at your desk... he was out there... where Twitter couldn't save him
Squaw OPEN!
11/18/09, 7:12 pm, Staff Report
- Full opening-day schedule...
- Hint: JT Holmes BASE jumps, Jonny Moseley lifts a glass... yep, happy 60th Squaw...but is there enough snow?!
Tahoe Ticker asks that you install flash 8 and turn javascript on
