snapdragon wrote:

cold starts at zero

I would normally agree with you, having had face snowbite more times than I have fingers, but the wind chill is in excess of -35F

Coldest day I spent on skis was -20F - there were not many of us out there that day.

Coldest I've ever been   was -46F one morning in Gunnison before heading to Crested Butte (where it was a lot warmer).

bob wrote:

Coldest day I spent on skis was -20F - there were not many of us out there that day.

Coldest I've ever been   was -46F one morning in Gunnison before heading to Crested Butte (where it was a lot warmer).

 -46 Yikes!  I had 5 days in Vt/NH, warmest day was 10, coldest -20.  Only person out for about an hour on one lift I was lapping at Black, lifty said I he had to stay out even if no one was skiing, otherwise I would have gone in :-).

I'm in Salida, CO trying to get a few ski days in at Monarch.  Skied there yesterday in cold, windy, low viz conditions.  Snow nice, skied like 6" cut up powder. 

But today Monarch and sections of US 50 to the resort were closed for avalanche mitigation work due to wind blown snow.  Big snow storm coming tonight here and throughout CO.  Could make for great skiing, but I'm concerned it might cause further road closures due to accompanying winds?

Gunnison is so cold.  Downvalley, the cold settles.  Crested Butte town is warmer, and mountain base a little more.  But once the sun goes behind the ridges, it's all cold.  I think Gunny got down to -10 while we were there and it seemed so ordinary.

bob wrote:

Coldest day I spent on skis was -20F - there were not many of us out there that day.

Coldest I've ever been   was -46F one morning in Gunnison before heading to Crested Butte (where it was a lot warmer).

One foot+ powder day at Monarch, CO 14 Jan 2023, temps in 20s, wind and visibility not too bad.

Heading to Copper and A-Basin next, then Utah.  I guess I should open a separate thread for my 2024 western ski travels.  Pretty big storm cycle going on right now throughout much of the Rockies.

Good news. If you are Summi county, the ski areas are open!

Bad new -- if you are tryingto leave Summit County -- well you can't -- Vail Pass, Hoosier Pass, & Loveland Pass are all closed -- and eastbound I 70 starting at Frisco is closed.