We've had a wide range of weather this year with awesome snow storms, huge temperature swings, eerie inversions (-5 in town, 45 up top) and a couple major wind events. Overall, the snow has been fantastic and relatively stable (for our area). Our first big snow came mid November as snow fell on dry ground and our strong foundation snow was protected by continuous snowfall throughout December. Two back to back storms in early January created epic powder days for what felt like two weeks straight. We got a little lull in precip late January but some much appreciated (for some) sun. Two nice storms have hit already in February and we're lined up for another later next week. After last year, this year has felt like a dream come true and reminds me of the epic snow years in the early 2000s.
As for ice climbing, mild temps and frequent thaw-freeze cycles in December saw climbs form quickly and fat. Some west facing climbs which receives afternoon sun have suffered a bit from warm temps but as of today things are mostly healed up and in good condition. The ice climbing this year has been excellent and we've been out climbing as much as possible in between pow days.
