DOC POWJASPER, AB — Come on! These photos cannot be from yesterday (July 13) in the Canadian Rockies? How is it possible that Jasper's Marmot Basin could be hit with a pow storm that dropped 18 cms in 12 hours? Simple. It's Alberta and you never know what's going to happen.
Marmot’s season hasn’t really stopped. Our good friends Matt Doig and Megan Gibson up at Marmot have been loving life for the past 10 months. This vibe continued yesterday when they ditched the flip flops for their snowboard boots! This past season was an above average one for Marmot receiving over 14 feet of white gold.
My Question: is this snow and continued moisture we’ve been seeing here in Canada’s West an indication of a big POW season ahead?
I wanted to know if there was something in the forecast and thought a peak at the Farmer’s Almanac might be able to shed some light on the situation. For almost 200 years, the Almanac has been a pretty accurate long-range weather forecast for the United States and Canada. The Almanac folks nailed it for 2010 spring and summer calling for lots of precipitation ... which for some of us has translated into snow!
“This past winter season, Mother Nature was kind of upside down, with much of the colder temperatures heading south while in Western Canada it was a mild with limited snow," said Sandi Duncan, managing editor for the Farmers' Almanac.
For this coming winter season they are seeing something different. The 2011 Farmers' Almanac doesn't hit the shelves until Aug. 30 so she couldn’t give me the full details, but she did say, “It’s not going to be a repeat of what it what was this past season. It looks like it will be a snowy season for the Canadian Rockies.”
But how can they be sure?
“We have a weather prognosticator, Caleb Weatherbee. He is a real person however we keep his identity secret. 'Caleb' follows an astronomical and mathematical formula that was set back in 1818, looking at sunspot activity, position of the planets and tidal action of the moon.”
To get the jump start, you may want to start your winter planning now, so get some homework done within these pages here at www.snowseekers.ca
Just ask Megan Gibson about her November 2009 where they smashed records for the amount of snow they received that early. She said many times that it was like nothing she had ever experienced and I agree, it was heli-skiing conditions for lift ticket prices. Is it too early to say the same is up for this year? It sounds like the Almanac sees a snowy future for us.
Do you have some photos of your own summer snow-filled adventures? Send them to me at docpow@snowseekers.ca and we’ll post them to our SnowSeekers Facebook page and whomever has the most likes by next Wednesday July 22 will win a pair of Marmot Basin lift tickets for this season.
Planning to head to Jasper or Banff? Check out our Trip Planner service - featuring a collection of businesses we recommend for your next visit. Read more
Check out our weekly gear review, showcasing some of the coolest gear and gadgets for the winter adventurer. Read more
Not sure what resort to visit next? Our Resort Recommender will tell you where to go, based on what you want. Check it out
SITE FEATURES
