Articles by: Herb Stevens

Skiing Weatherman: Pattern Is Relatively Quiet

Skiing Weatherman: Pattern Is Relatively Quiet

Fresh Snow in Cali. Mild Temps Next Week. Last week’s installment touched upon the fight we usually see in March between lingering cold to the north and advancing spring warmth from the south.  The fight usually takes the form of storminess, where it only a matter of whether there is enough cold air in the mix to produce snow instead[Read More…]

by March 3, 2021 1 comment Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Transition Month Trials

Skiing Weatherman: Transition Month Trials

Late Season Powder. Rain And Snow. Although astronomical spring begins with the vernal equinox later in March, “meteorological spring” begins on the first day of March.  That’s when the questions start to arise about how long the season is likely to extend.  Those questions are more common for resorts over the eastern half of the country, where injections of milder[Read More…]

by February 25, 2021 2 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Pattern Quiets Down a Bit

Skiing Weatherman: Pattern Quiets Down a Bit

Warmer end to February. March Snow Looks Good. This has been an absolutely wild weather week across the country, with more heavy snow in the West, the worst run of cold and snow in the southern Plains since 1899, and two significant storms in the East, although the first one generated a fair amount of sleet earlier this week. As[Read More…]

by February 18, 2021 2 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: The Hits Just Keep On Coming

Skiing Weatherman: The Hits Just Keep On Coming

Busy Storms. Slopes in Good Shape. As I write this piece at the start of President’s Day weekend, the slopes from coast to coast are in fine to extraordinarily good shape, thanks to a very busy coast to coast pattern of storms that has played out in recent weeks.  A push of arctic air delivered by the stratwarm episode that[Read More…]

by February 11, 2021 1 comment Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Thank You, Stratwarm

Skiing Weatherman: Thank You, Stratwarm

Hint: Cold Air Coming Your Way. [Please consider supporting SeniorsSkiing.com with a donation. We appreciate your help. Click here.] I assume that this week’s headline has many of you scratching your head wondering “What in the world is a stratwarm?” I will try and explain but the bottom line is that this phenomenon is in large part responsible for the[Read More…]

by February 4, 2021 0 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Mid-Season Update

Skiing Weatherman: Mid-Season Update

Terrain Opens Coast to Coast In my mind, the end of January is roughly the mid-point of the season and as we hit that mark, the slopes of North America are in good shape from coast to coast.  There are a few spots here and there where trail counts and base depths are lacking a bit, but overall, the very[Read More…]

by January 28, 2021 2 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Something For Everone

Skiing Weatherman: Something For Everone

Snow For All. Often when I write this piece, I have good news for one region of the country and not-so good news for other areas of ski country. Such is the nature of winter weather across a country that stretches 3,000 miles from coast to coast and with so many and varied climate zones. However, just as there are[Read More…]

by January 21, 2021 1 comment Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Pattern Change Continues

Skiing Weatherman: Pattern Change Continues

The Vortex Is Coming. Last week I discussed a major pattern change that would unfold over North America this month. As we hit the midpoint of January, those changes are well underway. An episode of stratospheric warming over the far northern reaches of the hemisphere has matured in typical fashion, leading to the displacement of the polar vortex away from[Read More…]

by January 14, 2021 3 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman:  Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Skiing Weatherman: Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

For the title of this piece I chose a line from David Bowie’s classic song. The jet stream pattern that ultimately determines the snowfall haves and the have-nots is undergoing change and, ultimately, it will be dramatic. As a lifelong skier and weather nerd, my step gets a little lighter and I tend to have a song in my mind[Read More…]

by January 7, 2021 5 comments Skiing Weatherman, Features
Christmas Day Jet Stream snapshot.

Skiing Weatherman: The Beat Goes On

The Busy Pattern Continues. Last week’s installment headlined a progressive pattern that has been sending ridges and troughs west to east across the continent at a dizzying pace.  That pattern produced some meaningful snow in the West earlier this week and then unloaded a blockbuster on the mid-Atlantic and much of the Northeast midweek, jumpstarting the season at dozens of[Read More…]

by December 16, 2020 0 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Parade Of Storms Coming

Skiing Weatherman: Parade Of Storms Coming

Progressive Storm Threats Gets Underway Although it’s likely that the holiday period will be a Covid-induced quiet one across the country, it is now crunch time for opening terrain that will create adequate social distancing to fend off further operating restrictions. The past week brought about a pattern change that delivered snow to many resorts that had seen very little.[Read More…]

by December 9, 2020 0 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Here Comes The Snow!

Skiing Weatherman: Here Comes The Snow!

The Weather Worm Is Turning, Especially In The East. If the optimist in all of us considers November 1 the start of the winter sports season, then the first month of this season was a dud in the eastern half of the country. Cold air masses were infrequent visitors, and natural snow was even harder to find. A persistent jet stream[Read More…]

by December 2, 2020 2 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Fast Movers

Skiing Weatherman: Fast Movers

In last week’s first installment of my weekly discussion, the Pac Northwest and northern Rockies were enjoying a parade of early season snow events while skiers and riders in the Midwest and East had to be content with tuning gear and digesting the state-by-state Covid restrictions rolling out recently. The storms have continued to hit the same general areas that[Read More…]

by November 16, 2020 0 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Haves and Have Nots

Skiing Weatherman: Haves and Have Nots

So It Begins, Unevenly. As is often the case at the start of the ski season, the weather pattern is designating “haves” and “have nots” in terms of sufficiently cold air for snowmaking and natural snow.  Consistent with first year La Ninas, as this season will be, November has brought winter weather to the West while the eastern half of[Read More…]

by November 12, 2020 3 comments Skiing Weatherman
View of Mt Washington from Wildcat, Oct 18

Skiing Weatherman: Winter Weigh-In Time

What Does A La Nina Winter Mean For Snow Sports? After seeing a web cam shot of snow-covered Mt. Washington, NH this past weekend, I quickly contracted a case of “calendar shock”, realizing that it was time to submit some ideas on where I think this winter is headed, weatherwise.  Co-Publisher Mike Maginn wrote a nice piece on La Nina[Read More…]

by October 26, 2020 1 comment Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: More Snow Coming. No Kidding.

Skiing Weatherman: More Snow Coming. No Kidding.

Late Season Snow Opens Nordic Opportunities. As the coronavirus situation has continued to unfold and expand, the curtain has all but come down on the alpine season across North America. Nevertheless, lovers of the great outdoors continue to find ways to ingest their fair share of fresh air by a variety of different means, including cross country skiing aficionados. At[Read More…]

by March 24, 2020 0 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: There’s Snow In The West, Only Maybe East

Skiing Weatherman: There’s Snow In The West, Only Maybe East

For Those Still Venturing Out On Snow Shoes, Skinny Skis, Or Skins. On a typical office day in the winter, I often scan web cams from resorts, living vicariously on those days when I can’t be on the snow myself. Now that the coronavirus pandemic has ground the winter sports season to a virtual halt, I still check out the[Read More…]

by March 19, 2020 0 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Out Like  A Lion

Skiing Weatherman: Out Like A Lion

March Won’t Be Ending Spring-like. Although I had good intentions, I must confess that I did not get on the snow in the past week.  65 degree temperatures here in Rhode Island early this week didn’t help to inspire, for sure.  Much of the East has had a frustrating season, due to a lack of cold and snow, but the[Read More…]

by March 11, 2020 0 comments Skiing Weatherman
The Skiing Weatherman: Snow West, Maybe East

The Skiing Weatherman: Snow West, Maybe East

Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com is asking our readers to contribute to support our online magazine. Yes, we have grown in the number of subscribers and advertisers. But our expenses have also grown. You can help us defray some of these expenses by helping us out with a donation.] Support SeniorsSkiing.com by clicking here. ______________________________________________________ The Pattern Persists. In the past two[Read More…]

by February 24, 2020 0 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Sun Spot Cycle Means Jet Stream Changes

Skiing Weatherman: Sun Spot Cycle Means Jet Stream Changes

[Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com is asking our readers to contribute to support our online magazine. Yes, we have grown in the number of subscribers and advertisers. But our expenses have also grown. You can help us defray some of these expenses by helping us out with a donation.] Support SeniorsSkiing.com by clicking here. ______________________________________________________ The Potential Exists For “Significant” Snow Events[Read More…]

by February 10, 2020 2 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: A Battle For The Second Half

Skiing Weatherman: A Battle For The Second Half

[Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com is asking our readers to contribute to support our online magazine. Yes, we have grown in the number of subscribers and advertisers. But our expenses have also grown. You can help us defray some of these expenses by helping us out with a donation.] Support SeniorsSkiing.com by clicking here. ______________________________________________________ Post-Ground Hog Day Winter Looks Like A[Read More…]

by February 4, 2020 1 comment Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Mid-Winter Preview

Skiing Weatherman: Mid-Winter Preview

Herb Is Bullish On The Second Half Of This Season. The past week has been another relatively quiet one over the eastern half of the country in terms of fresh snowfall while the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia have again been targeted with substantial new inches. The lack of snow over the Midwest and East has surprised me to a[Read More…]

by January 27, 2020 0 comments Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: Winter Is Delivering

Skiing Weatherman: Winter Is Delivering

Looks Like A Promising Couple Of Weeks. It has been a terrific week of skiing and riding in most of the U.S. and Canada and I have been lucky enough to squeeze in a couple of days. Loon Mountain on Tuesday was wonderful; miles and miles of packed powder and views of the White Mountains that are hard to beat.[Read More…]

by January 22, 2020 1 comment Skiing Weatherman
Skiing Weatherman: For The East, Enter Winter

Skiing Weatherman: For The East, Enter Winter

A Comeback For The East And Midwest, More Pow For The West. I spent the first two days of this week with fellow members of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association at Windham Mountain,  NY, where the crew did an outstanding job of providing a fun surface in the wake of a mid-season meltdown last Sunday. One of the presentations[Read More…]

by January 14, 2020 2 comments Skiing Weatherman