All you weather experts - what do you think. Should we get our hopes up based on this article?

http://weblogs.marylandweather.com/2009/06/developing_el_nino_could_mean.html

Kinda depends on what the NAO does, imo.

"Should we get our hopes up based on this article?"

Uh... no.

Canaan only recieved 148 inches during an El Nino winter a few years back...Maybe the whitetails & Massanuttins will benifit a little but the western front areas need the winds to blow hard from the NW....Like Comprex mentioned..El Nino is just one of many variables....

I hate El Nino winters.

Roads are icey, slope coverage is minimal, lots of freeze/thaw cycles.

You hit the nail on the head on that Quote!....lots of moisture...much of it underdeveloped..

Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention but I've never noticed much effect one way or the other. I think the east coast is too far away from the eastern Pacific. The effect seems to be stronger on the west coast. Anyhow every winter is a good one if you are in the right place at the right time.

The whole El Nino - La Nina - Chicken Little thing has gotten a bit excessive IMHO. Just seize opportunities.

Another Nail on the Head!!...Cristina who works at Canaan Valley Stores always Comments how when I walk in it is always Snowing...."Just seize opportunities"....

Doesn't she slap you when you do that?

I don't believe that means that you bring snow to the Valley. You've got her fooled. We all know you only make the trek from NC when snow is in the forcast. You are a cheater!!

Last season Whitetail had 11 inches of natural snow. We're overdue for a nice 3 foot blizzard (last big snow was what 2002?). My recollection of El Nino years is that they bring a different overall storm pattern to our area (more lows coming up the East coast than Alberta clippers), but that we are in a borderline region for whether or not this means a good ski season. An 8 inch dump makes for nice top dressing for a day, but it adds less than inch to the base. If those East coast lows stay far enough off the coast, they pull down enough cold weather for good snowmaking and they set us up for a good Epic "close everything down" dumping.

I agree with the blog, that Baltimore is likely to get more natural snow this winter. For now, all this El Nino thing means for skiers is that this year's weather will be a crap shoot instead of roulette spin. As it develops, we may get a better idea of what we're in for, but betting on the weather is worse than "investing" in the stock market. At least it's fun to speculate.

I see Jay Peak on the list. Jay will sell you a half price ticket if you show them a season pass from anywhere else. I get half price with my Mad River pass, which last year cost $340 for a senior shareholder bought before Oct. 15. No restrictions.

Speaking of spins, I just scored a free set of snows.


If I find rims for 'em, you know we're not gettin' nuthin.

Joe Bastardi has published his winter forecast saying the Mid Atlantic will experience a colder and snowier winter. He is also forecasting the El Nino will fade early not effect the Mid Atlantic weather pattern much.

Well..There goes the Winter down the drain..I don't think we can overcome a great winter F-cast like that...They say it will resemble the Winter of 02/03...233 inches of snow up at Canaan that season..Geesh..Its over Johnny!

It's not over till Wardensville has 85* temps the second week of July after a slow steady progressive warmup to that climatic peak leaving most resorts (aka timberline) with one trail left open after their 6' base is decimated to a 6" base. Till then I still have high hopes.

On a more serious note, the nights here have been UNUSUALLY cold dipping into the 50's in July! So I do believe we are in a global wide pattern of cooling which would only lend benefit to a snowier winter. It has happened before, it will happen again.

Brad, we've barely hit 90 here just a few times. It's been weird here too at night. It almost always gets below 57 or so. That is really strange for the middle of July in NC WV. Any explanations as to this phenom Mr Fishnski?

It's low humidity. Humid air acts like a thermostat to keep the night temperature from falling too low.

Its just the pattern that we are in..the same pattern that some think will hold up thru the winter for us in the mid atlantic. Barrow,AK has had temps in the 70's lately...heat goes up one side & in this case cooler air slides back down to us. Take a look at the ice still left in Hudson Bay...our cooler air slid down over that area leaving above ave ice there & now we have been enjoying a cool July ourselves here at the beach in SE NC...

I hope the Olympics up in British Col get the goodies but I guess if they don't......WE WILL

Yeah y'all out east are having one incredible summer- I was back over the 4th and stunned at how cool it was in southern MD. Things are normal here, but this weekend is supposed to be in the upper 70s with lows in the upper 50s, which is more like late September! But we had some mind-numbing heat around the 1st, too.

It's been an odd Summer here in Blacksburg. The hottest day so far this year was in April!