It is official!!! After weeks of talking about being x-inches away from the snowiest season on record, the Steamboat Ski Resort finally reached the record-breaking milestone on Friday March 21, 2008.
If you weren't up on the ski resort on Friday, you missed out on Hershey Kisses in the gondola line and entertainment from the Worried Men. You also missed grins from ear to ear on every local and Steamboat guest alike. There was a feeling that we were all living and skiing history.
The Steamboat Ski Resort Official Press Release reports: "With more than 37 feet of Champagne Powder® snow this winter, the Steamboat Ski Resort will finish the 2007/2008 season in record fashion, breaking its previous season snow record of 447.75 inches set in 1996/1997.
“Despite early forecasts calling for a warmer and drier winter, big snows, often the norm in Steamboat, were a common occurrence and provided a season full of epic powder days,” said Chris Diamond, president & chief operating officer for Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. “Powderhounds will have plenty of powder tales to tell for years or at the very least until the cycle begins again with the opening of the 2008/2009 season on November 26th.”
On Thursday, a storm blanketed the resort with 4 inches at mid-mountain and the summit resulting in a 74-inch base at mid-mountain and 97-inch base at the summit, moving the season snowfall total to 450 inches, 2.25 inches more than the previous record-breaking season. Currently, the top-three season snow totals for Steamboat include this year’s 450 (& counting); 447.75 in 1996/97; and 447.5 in 1983/84.
In addition to establishing a new all-time snowfall record and registering a “four-wire winter”, the resort hit three key milestones within just a month of each other: surpassing 300-inch mark on 2/1/08; six days later surpassing 350-inch mark on 2/7/08; and on March 2nd surpassing the 400-inch mark. Furthermore, Steamboat-Ski Town, U.S.A. received more than 100 inches of snow for three months (December, January & February) for the first time in resort history.
Since November 21st, snow has fallen 91 out of 122 days (74.5%) with 51 of those days recording four or more inches. This season at mid-mountain, the resort has seen 17 inches in October; 23 inches in November; 126 inches in December (3rd snowiest); 129 inches in January (2nd snowiest) and 104 inches in February (2nd snowiest); and 51 inches in March for a combined total of 450 inches (37.5 feet).
“With each additional flake over the next few weeks, a new snowfall record will be set,” continued Diamond. “With just over two weeks left in the record-breaking snow season, spring skiing/riding in Steamboat should definitely not be missed.”
Posts
