how is el nino related to ski conditions in north america, if it is then will it affect this upcoming season?
965062
El Nino is a weather phenomena that can play a deadly toll on us shreadheads. I live in Washington State and if you've been paying attention to the news, you can see that we are having a particularly wet fall season. In return, we are having record rain/snow falls this year (53 inches of snow since Saturday at Mt. Baker)!\n\nAnyway, to answer your question, the jet stream swing is more a determining factor for Washingtonians. I'm not sure where you live but several years ago (2004/2005), there was a very peculiar jet stream that went through the Southern United States. Washington State had close to no open ski resorts and the states of Colorado, California, even Arizona were having killer seasons. Unfair but the jet stream was bringing all the bad (good for powderhounds) to them leaving us in the dust.\n\nSo I guess the moral of the story is that it boils down to cold weather and lots of precipitation to have a killer season. It's always snowing somewhere given pretty much any phenomena. I'd be more concerned about the earth's average temperature rise.
299755
I've been there. Its sorta like NORTH-SOUTH Hemisphere. Its either 1 degree celicus or 92 degrees Farenheit. Trust me...BE PREPARED!
62833
We will be entering the Age of Aquarius, as refered to in the song. This is determined by what constellation corresponds with where the sun rises on the vernal equinox. (We are currently in the Age of Pisces) Who knew that rock musicians were so aware of astronomy?\n\nPrecession changes the time of year when the earth reaches it's perihelion which is the point where the earth is closest to the sun during its orbit around the sun. Presently we reach perihelion on about Jan. 3, which is during northern hemisphere winter. This has an effect on climate and is likely to be increasing the solar warming during winter while reducing it for summer in the northern hemisphere. Eleven thousand years ago the reverse was true. There is no doubt we are in a long term climate cycle that we are just beginning to understand. \n\nI doubt that the effect will be any more remarkable than in any other year. The cycle is so long (~22,000 years) that the rate of change is likely to insignificant. The one factor that is still not well understood is how these changes may create feedback systems in our climate that may not show up until many years after the changes. We will be moving the perihelion in the direction of having it during  the northern fall season, and since it has been about 20,000 years since the earth has had that position we don't have much of an idea how that will affect climate dynamics between the northern and southern hemisphere or if we will continue to see effects that may be delayed reactions to the change of precession over the last 5,500 years.\n\nCheck out the diagram at NOAA:                  Good question!!
95984
i know that mount kilaminjaro(sp) has a snow cap. and there are two ski resorts in morrocco. but much of the contenant doesnt get much precipitation.
80307
Yes it does. I believe it snows in almost all the regions in Japan. There are lots of ski resorts. I heard it snowed quite a lot in Tokyo this winter. Every year, there are some people who even die because of the severe snow especially in northen Japan.
1082968
I read in new scientist that there there is a certain current in the Atlantic that transports hotter ocean water from the south to the north.\n\nWhat happens here is the arctic ice will cool the temperature of the water down and it will thus flow south again.\n\nWith global warming there will be a constant flow of hot water to the north thus raising the water level there. So all places on the northern hemisphere would get affected first. \n\nI'm not too sure I got all the facts right but it has something to do with a current though.
62800
Just recently i have read a article on the NAO or North Atlantic Ocillation i believe it was called.  The NAO has two cycles, a positive cycle and a negative cycle.  Currently the cold air is trapped in siberia where low temperatures have reached ne 70 Degrees below zero F.  Forecast for this NAO is said to change to the negative cycle after superbowl sunday, which is just cowincdince and that incredibly cold air will shift over into canada and eventually sink in the eastern US.  Causeing us to have normal if not below normal temperatures for february and march.
116177
The ocean currents are a major factor in the climate of this planet. Many regions experience weather patterns and temperatures that are related primarily to the effect of ocean currents. Other weather patterns like hurricanes and El Niño events are also strongly affected by ocean currents.\n\nOcean currents in the Northern Hemisphere circulate in clockwise patterns around the basins. These are known as gyres. The Gulf Stream which moves northward up the western side of the Atlantic Ocean basin is responsible for moderating and warming the climate of Ireland, England, and northern Europe. The equatorial currents that move westward across the Pacific Ocean are an intrinsic part of the climate patterns known as El Niño and the Southern Oscillation. This climate pattern effects North and South America, Australia, India, eastern Asia, and even parts of Africa. Even Western Europe can statistically relate flooding events to El Niño. In years when El Niño is active hurricanes in the Atlantic have been found to be less active. \nhttp://typhoon.atmos.colostate.edu/\n\nOne scientist proposed that sub sea eruptions along the East Pacific Rise might be creating large volumes of rising heated water that would periodically mess up the ocean currents and cause the changes of weather patterns associated with El Niño/Southern Oscillation events. Another scientist attempting to verify this discovered that the El Niño events actually precede swarms of seismic activity in that area, and suggested the El Niño may actually be triggering the sub sea volcanic eruptions by slight changes in sea level and water pressure over the mid-ocean ridges. \nhttp://ess.geology.ufl.edu/usra_esse/ENSO_Oceans.html\n\nAnother important ocean current circulates deep in the oceans and actually moves through each of the world’s oceans in a continuous slow-moving belt known as the Conveyor. This is driven by cold, salty, North Atlantic water that sinks and moves southward to the Antarctic, where it moves eastward into the Pacific, and then northward to the North Pacific, where it turns and moves back through the Indian Ocean and toward the North Atlantic again.  It is estimated that if the Conveyer were to shut down, the North Atlantic region would be 20 degrees F. colder within ten years, and much of Europe would have a climate more like northern Norway has today.\nhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/record/23/11/13.html
357252
Freeheeling! Grab yourself a pair of skins and telemark skis. I've had some of my best days skiing at resorts before they open or after they close. Sure, you've got to get up early and work a bit for it, but it's oh so worth it for perfect, untracked, spring corn snow.
1037661
depends on snow..ya know. Snow hasn't exactly been predictable in recent years. Normally, you'd be safe to plan that date.
517695
tradewinds\n"During El Niño events, the normal pattern relaxes. The tradewinds weaken, particularly west of the Dateline, and the piled-up water in the west sloshes back east, carrying the warm pool with it. The region of rising air moves east with the warm pool, and so does the pumping of heat and moisture into the upper atmosphere. Deflections in the normal wind patterns distort the usual paths of the jetstreams, pushing them from their accustomed places, which eventually causes the changes in the weather that the rest of the world experiences. With weakened tradewinds, the deep cool waters coming up in the east slow their ascent. The food supply for plankton dwindles, and the effect travels up the food chain. When eastern sea surface temperature becomes warm, the east-to-west temperature contrast is small, and so the tradewinds weaken even further, leading to a complete collapse with essentially flat conditions across the entire equatorial Pacific."
960979
I wouldn't hold my breath ... as of today, all of the ski areas in Andorra are reporting 0cm new snow and 0cm base depth ... unless they experience snowfall of biblical proportions in the coming two weeks, it's looking pretty bleak for the end of November.\n\nYou can keep checking the link below for latest ski conditions there.
392785
Because the polar jet stream flows across the country in the winter. In the summer, it flows more across Canada. The wet weather always follows the jet stream. Of course, if you live in California, the El Nino effect brings more storms over the state.
137421
there are countries that can participate in winter sports nearly all year round. Unlike most other countries that only compete in the summer olympics.\n\nIn those winter counries, skiing (downhill and cross-country), shooting, and others are done daily to survive. In other words, some in those northern counthern ski to an from work and to an from school.\n\nWhy, because they can... they have the climate.
460967
It is (I know this for sure, because I am going there this summer) happening in British Columbia, Canada. More specifically, Vancouver, and the surrounding areas. There are numerous mountains for the downhill (skiing and snowboarding) events to take place at. The indoor events (ice skating, curling, etc.)- as well as the opening/ closing ceremonies- will happen right in Vancouver. I'm not sure where the nordic, and other outdoor events will happen, but probably just outside the city. They have really great facilities everywhere, so even though they have a lot of work to do, they already have a great head start. Also, I know from experience, the village at Whistler/ Blackcomb are great "tourist" attractions, and there is a great deal to do right in Vancouver.
821218
Speaking strictly from the stand point of the alignment of the earth in relation to the sun, it starts on December 22nd.\n\nHowever, the meteorological winter begins on December 1.  The National Weather Service breaks down the seasons by months rather than using the solstices and equinoxes.\n\nIt goes like this:\n\nWinter\n---------\nDecember, January and February\n\nSpring\n--------\nMarch, April and May\n\nSummer\n-----------\nJune, July and August\n\nAutumn\n----------\nSeptember, October, November\n\nThese dates hold true for any location in the United States, not just Minnesota.  Acutally, these dates would hold true for anywhere north of the equator, but I am talking about the United States NWS...so I am limiting the points made to the US.
44998
Different TV stations use different weather services for their weather forecasts.\n\nSome use Accuweather.  Some use the National Weather Service.  Others may use the Weather Channel as their source.\n\nEach of these services use different computer models and different human beings interpreting the results of these models to create their forecasts.\n\nWhen I go skiing near Lake Tahoe, I go with the National Weather Service because their predictions seem the most accurate and they include weather predictions about the snow level.  This is important because it tells me weather or not I'll be stuck driving behind someone with chains and weather I'll be skiing in rain/snow or dry, powdery snow.