April 14, 2016 Squaw Valley

We read the snow report for the 14th,, and it was for 1-2” of  new snow with heavy winds.  It was sunny with no wind when we parked at Squaw on the 13th. During the night we heard and felt heavy wind gusts hitting the van.  We got up at 6am with 2” in the parking lot and a strong breeze. There were gusts up to 60mph last night. The morning snow report said 6mph at the base and 16mph at High Camp at 8200'. OK, lets go skiing. We took the tram to High Camp, and it looked nice in the sun. At High Camp Jill walked outside around the corner, stopped and looked  at me, and said “zip up all your clothing and put on your hood”.  Once outside, it was blowing and very chilly. Two inches of fresh snow was moving around  and you'd have fresh tracks, then ungroomed yesterday's slush. The best skiing was off the Shirley Lake Express, Solitude and Granite Chief. That part of the resort had no/little wind and it was sunny.  But get to the top of those lifts, and it was blowing! It was powder on the top and down to the base of the Headwall Express.  At 6200' it was corn snow.  Around 11am some clouds moved in covering the top terrain. Headwall Express and KT-22 Express were cloudy and icy with 2” of fresh. We've had  numerous great ski days in these area –  and today was not one of them.  The weather at Alpine Meadows in the morning was high winds from base to top. Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are planning to be open until the end of May, or so they report. Another Mountain Collective day.