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First Storm Of The Season

sdsnocop

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Feb 3, 2009
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Hot Springs, SD
The first storm of the season is set to arrive tonight and go through Wednesday Morning. NWS is predicting 8-15 inches between Sundance Lead, and 4 Corners, WY. DOT sent me an e-mail and they are predicting over 20 inches for the Northern Hills. Winds of 30-50mph are predicted. The DOT webcam at Hardy shows it is already snowing. Hopefully this storm produces as they predict. I will make for a good start. The groomer training is Thursday and Friday this week. Perfect timing.
 

edgey

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Hey Duane when can you ride the hills Dec 1st? I know grooming don't start until the 15th right.
 

sdsnocop

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Feb 3, 2009
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Hey Duane when can you ride the hills Dec 1st? I know grooming don't start until the 15th right.

You can ride Forest Service lands and roads that are not plowed. Trails are not open until the 15th due to contracts crossing private lands not going into effect until that date. FS roads do not officially close until 12/15. Even if they are not plowed there will be Christmas tree and elk hunters on the back roads to watch out for.
 

sdsnocop

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Feb 3, 2009
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The Snotel at N Rapid Creek is showing 27 inches as of 3pm. The Blind Park Snotel is showing 23 inches as of noon the 3pm reading failed. The Snotel sites update snow depth every 3 hours so new data should come in at 6pm. The news was reporting 23 inches at Deerfield. Trailshead is reporting over 3 feet this afternoon. The DOT plow got stuck on hwy 85 near Hardy Camp. They sent one of our sno-cats to pull him out.
 
W

wag13

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Jun 22, 2008
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Spearfish,SD
Trailshead just posted. Said they got over 3ft. In my super duper expert opinion (ha) it sounds like this storm threw a nice 24+inch blanket over the whole trail system. I was bored in class yesterday so I was just watching the way the storm was moving and with the wind involved I would like to think that the farther North you go from Trailshead the better the snow would get all the way to cement ridge (due to updraft winds and such from the North).

At the end of the day it's been awhile since we've had a large wet snow early in the season on top of the hopefully frozen ground. Now it just needs to settle and be added on. Good for the business owners and good for the northern Black Hills communities!
 

XFIRE800

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Feb 22, 2009
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Aberdeen, SD
Trailshead just posted. Said they got over 3ft. In my super duper expert opinion (ha) it sounds like this storm threw a nice 24+inch blanket over the whole trail system. I was bored in class yesterday so I was just watching the way the storm was moving and with the wind involved I would like to think that the farther North you go from Trailshead the better the snow would get all the way to cement ridge (due to updraft winds and such from the North).

At the end of the day it's been awhile since we've had a large wet snow early in the season on top of the hopefully frozen ground. Now it just needs to settle and be added on. Good for the business owners and good for the northern Black Hills communities!
Phil Schreck
 
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