Alright so the groomer info is up on our website.  Here is the exclusive on what a groomer is and how it works!

Here is the actual package that aired last night.

Alight since we are already talking about snow, lets take a look at the next time we may actually see a nice dosing in our area.  We saw a fairly quiet pattern this week.  No major storms moved through and besides a few degree drop we really didn’t seen a major temperature change.  It looks like we are going to start the week with a similar trend but there are some changes that could play out by the end….

What does that mean?

Right now it looks like by early next weekend or the beginning of next week ( not this week!) we could see a few storms roll through the area.  This is because our pattern will be come more amplified and allow for stronger disturbances to push through.  This could bring accumulating snow to our area and the possibility of the coldest air of the season.  The models have been fairly in consistent with the snow chances and timing but the cold is starting to become more noticeable in the runs. We are talking about major cold.  Looking at the 850 temps, which tell us the temp just above the surface, models are showing – 24 to – 30.  Just to give a reference today we were about -15.  In other words we will be watching this cold spell closely to see if it plays out.    Meteorologist Kristen Connolly

Posted under Trails, Travel, Weather History, Weather NEws, Weather Safety, Winter Weather

Besides the 35 degree high that we hit on January 1st ( and that was just after Midnight!) every high temp has been below average so far this week.  This will continue into the weekend so the first week of 2011 will be below normal and it looks like we may not hit a normal temp even into next week.  To top it off the middle of the month could be even colder than where we are right now….details to come.

I wanted to talk about my story that will be coming up tomorrow night.  If you have ever read any of my blogs you probably know I enjoy skiing and try and head to the hit the hill once a week.  I actually started skiing at Granite Peak, or Rib Mountain as it was named then, when I was in grade school.  My family and I would meet my relatives from Rochester here in Wausau.  Needless to say, the ski hill has been a part of my life for almost 20 years and something that reminds me of the good ol’ days. 

Last night I saw a side of the hill I never saw….the grooming side.  As a skier or snowboarder, I get so in the mode I don’t think about all the work that goes into making the hill safe for the visitors.  My photog and I rode up in the groomer and actually took a ride around the west side of the mountain.  It was really neat looking at the jagged, heavily ”used” snow in front and then seeing the smooth ripples, or corduroy effect as it is often called, after it gets tilled.  One of the most impressive tools was how they roll the snow instead of pushing it ( pushing is what city plows do).  This puts air in the snow to make it fluffy.  This is done by a curved plow in the front.  The tiller in the back is used to break up compact snow, reduce ice chunks and to mix new and old snow.  All in all, it is quite a process.  It is an on going and constant job done on holidays, evenings and overnights.  I sure have gained respect and will be more careful when I see them around.  Thank you so much to Rick Wolfe for giving me the inside scoop and letting us enjoy his cab for an hour!

 I will never forget going down a diamond hill in the groomer compared to the feeling of skiing.  Both give me quite a rush!  

I couldn’t get the pics to post tonight so I will have to add them in tomorrow…

Meteorologist Kristen Connolly

Posted under Seasonal Items, Trails, Travel, Uncategorized, Weather NEws, Weather Safety, Winter Weather