Monday, November 07, 2011
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Early Season Snowpack Report From Colorado
Statewide Avalanche Conditions
Issued: 11/02/2011 8:47 AM by Spencer Logan
Expires: 11/05/2011 12:00 PM 2 2
Highlights
The November 1st storm brought some decent snow to the mountains. Using the 6 AM numbers from remote weather stations, after the majority of accumulation occurred:
* Steamboat Zone 6 to 8"
* Front Range 4 to 6", with more than 12" around Cameron Pass
* Vail Summit 6 to 8"
* Sawatch 4 to 7" with over 10" on Monarch Pass
* Aspen 4 to 8"
* Gunnison 4"
* Grand Mesa 8 to 12"
* North San Juan 6+" Red Mountain Pass to Telluride, less to the south
* South San Juan 2 to 3"
* Sangres still snowing and blowing hard
Winds started from the southwest and shifted to the east. Generally, wind speeds were moderate but strong enough to drift some snow. Local areas saw stronger winds, with reports of 16 inch thick drifts in Telluride and strong valley winds in the Front Range. While not a big load, the new snow fell onto a weak, early season snowpack. Expect to find sensitive storm slabs and wind slabs in steep terrain near and above treeline. Remember the early season mantra "if there is enough snow to ride, there is enough snow to slide." Early season avalanche incidents, and even fatalities, are typical. Unpack your avalanche brain as you get the rest of your winter gear ready.
Please send us your observations and we'll keep the list of Field Reports and Avalanches current.
Weather Discussion
The storm marched nicely across Colorado Tuesday night. The back edge will march eastward across the mountains on Wednesday, with a few scattered snow showers lingering into the afternoon. Northerly flow sets up behind the storm, with gusty north winds through the afternoon. Winds decrease this evening and turn northwesterly as a high-pressure ridge moves in. Daytime temperatures will inch upwards Thursday and Friday. A storm is lining up for this weekend, kicking in Friday night and snowing through the weekend.
Backcountry Weather Forecasts resumed on Nov 1. Details on snow accumulations, winds, and temperatures are available there.
No avalanche incidents have been reported this season. Yet. Don't be the first.
Observers have reported five unintentionally human-triggered avalanches during or since the last storm in late October. We generally assume reports are a small portion of the number actually triggered. All the slides were on northerly aspects near or above treeline. The slides were relatively small, not surprising for the shallow early season snowpack, but took out most or all of this winter's snowpack.
The Tuesday storm brings several avalanche considerations. Storm slabs are an important consideration. With the new accumulations of snow, storm slabs may form even in wind-sheltered areas. Recall that "slabs" can be soft and powdery, if there is weaker snow underneath. We know weak, faceted old snow is plentiful. Look for subtle changes within the storm snow, too. Storm slabs can break much wider than you anticipate and take out entire slopes.
New wind slabs will be another consideration, mainly near and above treeline. Winds will shift from southwest to north, with some strong gusts along the way. Expect both pockety, discontinuous slabs and widespread slabs in open areas. The slabs will be sitting on that old, faceted snow and avalanches will easily break to the ground.
Cold, clear nights between the early season storms promote faceting. The result is big, sugary, weak snow on shady slopes and high elevations. Many locations now have one to three feet of snow on the colder and more shaded aspects. This weak snow will be the foundation of our snowpack for a while. The weak, faceted snow will not make for a strong snowpack, and early season avalanches will plague us for several more storms. Expect Tuesday's storm to be sensitive and easily triggered on higher elevation, shady slopes.
Anticipation and excitement run high with early season storms. Everyone is eager to get out and play. Be sure to unpack and dust off your avalanche thinking, good travel practices, and safety equipment with the rest of you gear. It is common for October avalanches to catch people every season. An early season encounter with an avalanche will often come with a ride through rocks, downed timber, stumps, or other obstacles which can quickly bring an end to your riding season. Always think of the consequences if you get caught and take a ride in an avalanche.
Fall and Early Winter Avalanche Safety
* Fall and a taste of winter have returned to Colorado’s high country. Snow began to stick on the higher terrain by mid-September. Every season people have encounters with wintertime slab avalanches as early as August or September. Anyone traveling in the mountains, including hikers, hunters, sledders, skiers, riders and ice climbers, needs to be aware of the avalanche threat as soon as snow starts to accumulate on steep slopes.
* People are often misled when they see grass and brush sticking out of the snow surface. You should start thinking about avalanches any time you have snow resting on a steep slope. Remember, all you need is a slab resting on a weak layer of snow. The ground can easily act as a bed surface, even if it’s only a few inches below the snow surface.
* Old summer snow fields can act as the perfect bed surface too. Hard frozen old snow with new snow on top are common culprits in early season avalanche incidents.
* Early in the snow season there is not much snow on the ground. This means that rocks and stumps are near the snow surface. If you get caught in an avalanche you might get tumbled through rocks, stumps, and downed timber. These obstacles can do great bodily harm to backcountry users traveling through them at high speeds. Knee pads, helmets and full body armor may not be a solution to this problem. Even a very small slide can cause great harm if the terrain is unfriendly.Don't let an early-season injury ruin your winter!
* Wind drifts will create thicker slabs. Strong winds can take a three inch snowstorm and quickly build an 18” wind slab. Areas with shallow snow may be very close to deep drifted areas. It may be quite easy to move from a very safe area to a very dangerous area without traveling very far. Wind drifts will be denser than the new snow and thick hard snow on light fluffy snow is a great setup for avalanching.
* Once the sun returns after a storm cycle and warm temperatures cause the new snow to melt, look to see where the pockets of snow remain. The snow that lingers in sheltered areas and shady slopes could be the weak layer after the next snowfall. These areas could also become recurring problem areas throughout the winter depending on how the winter snowpack develops.
* Pockets of instability can develop quickly above early season ice climbs. Climbers should know the terrain above their route as rapid warming or heavy wind loading can quickly work to build slab or loose snow avalanches which can nudge a precariously perched climber into a bad fall.
* Hunters traveling across the high country need to exercise greater caution on steep terrain (steeper than 30 degrees with accumulated snow) when crossing ridges from one valley to another
Issued: 11/02/2011 8:47 AM by Spencer Logan
Expires: 11/05/2011 12:00 PM 2 2
Highlights
The November 1st storm brought some decent snow to the mountains. Using the 6 AM numbers from remote weather stations, after the majority of accumulation occurred:
* Steamboat Zone 6 to 8"
* Front Range 4 to 6", with more than 12" around Cameron Pass
* Vail Summit 6 to 8"
* Sawatch 4 to 7" with over 10" on Monarch Pass
* Aspen 4 to 8"
* Gunnison 4"
* Grand Mesa 8 to 12"
* North San Juan 6+" Red Mountain Pass to Telluride, less to the south
* South San Juan 2 to 3"
* Sangres still snowing and blowing hard
Winds started from the southwest and shifted to the east. Generally, wind speeds were moderate but strong enough to drift some snow. Local areas saw stronger winds, with reports of 16 inch thick drifts in Telluride and strong valley winds in the Front Range. While not a big load, the new snow fell onto a weak, early season snowpack. Expect to find sensitive storm slabs and wind slabs in steep terrain near and above treeline. Remember the early season mantra "if there is enough snow to ride, there is enough snow to slide." Early season avalanche incidents, and even fatalities, are typical. Unpack your avalanche brain as you get the rest of your winter gear ready.
Please send us your observations and we'll keep the list of Field Reports and Avalanches current.
The November 1st storm brought some decent snow to the mountains. Using the 6 AM numbers from remote weather stations, after the majority of accumulation occurred:
- Steamboat Zone 6 to 8"
- Front Range 4 to 6", with more than 12" around Cameron Pass
- Vail Summit 6 to 8"
- Sawatch 4 to 7" with over 10" on Monarch Pass
- Aspen 4 to 8"
- Gunnison 4"
- Grand Mesa 8 to 12"
- North San Juan 6+" Red Mountain Pass to Telluride, less to the south
- South San Juan 2 to 3"
- Sangres still snowing and blowing hard
Winds started from the southwest and shifted to the east. Generally, wind speeds were moderate but strong enough to drift some snow. Local areas saw stronger winds, with reports of 16 inch thick drifts in Telluride and strong valley winds in the Front Range. While not a big load, the new snow fell onto a weak, early season snowpack. Expect to find sensitive storm slabs and wind slabs in steep terrain near and above treeline. Remember the early season mantra "if there is enough snow to ride, there is enough snow to slide." Early season avalanche incidents, and even fatalities, are typical. Unpack your avalanche brain as you get the rest of your winter gear ready.
Please send us your observations and we'll keep the list of Field Reports and Avalanches current.
Twitter 8:44 AM by Spencer Logan: Updated w/ 6AM snow accumulation. Expect sensitive storm and wind slabs near and above treeline.
Weather Discussion
The storm marched nicely across Colorado Tuesday night. The back edge will march eastward across the mountains on Wednesday, with a few scattered snow showers lingering into the afternoon. Northerly flow sets up behind the storm, with gusty north winds through the afternoon. Winds decrease this evening and turn northwesterly as a high-pressure ridge moves in. Daytime temperatures will inch upwards Thursday and Friday. A storm is lining up for this weekend, kicking in Friday night and snowing through the weekend.
Backcountry Weather Forecasts resumed on Nov 1. Details on snow accumulations, winds, and temperatures are available there.
The storm marched nicely across Colorado Tuesday night. The back edge will march eastward across the mountains on Wednesday, with a few scattered snow showers lingering into the afternoon. Northerly flow sets up behind the storm, with gusty north winds through the afternoon. Winds decrease this evening and turn northwesterly as a high-pressure ridge moves in. Daytime temperatures will inch upwards Thursday and Friday. A storm is lining up for this weekend, kicking in Friday night and snowing through the weekend.
Backcountry Weather Forecasts resumed on Nov 1. Details on snow accumulations, winds, and temperatures are available there.
Snowpack & Avalanche DiscussionNo avalanche incidents have been reported this season. Yet. Don't be the first.
Observers have reported five unintentionally human-triggered avalanches during or since the last storm in late October. We generally assume reports are a small portion of the number actually triggered. All the slides were on northerly aspects near or above treeline. The slides were relatively small, not surprising for the shallow early season snowpack, but took out most or all of this winter's snowpack.
The Tuesday storm brings several avalanche considerations. Storm slabs are an important consideration. With the new accumulations of snow, storm slabs may form even in wind-sheltered areas. Recall that "slabs" can be soft and powdery, if there is weaker snow underneath. We know weak, faceted old snow is plentiful. Look for subtle changes within the storm snow, too. Storm slabs can break much wider than you anticipate and take out entire slopes.
New wind slabs will be another consideration, mainly near and above treeline. Winds will shift from southwest to north, with some strong gusts along the way. Expect both pockety, discontinuous slabs and widespread slabs in open areas. The slabs will be sitting on that old, faceted snow and avalanches will easily break to the ground.
Cold, clear nights between the early season storms promote faceting. The result is big, sugary, weak snow on shady slopes and high elevations. Many locations now have one to three feet of snow on the colder and more shaded aspects. This weak snow will be the foundation of our snowpack for a while. The weak, faceted snow will not make for a strong snowpack, and early season avalanches will plague us for several more storms. Expect Tuesday's storm to be sensitive and easily triggered on higher elevation, shady slopes.
Anticipation and excitement run high with early season storms. Everyone is eager to get out and play. Be sure to unpack and dust off your avalanche thinking, good travel practices, and safety equipment with the rest of you gear. It is common for October avalanches to catch people every season. An early season encounter with an avalanche will often come with a ride through rocks, downed timber, stumps, or other obstacles which can quickly bring an end to your riding season. Always think of the consequences if you get caught and take a ride in an avalanche.
Fall and Early Winter Avalanche Safety
* Fall and a taste of winter have returned to Colorado’s high country. Snow began to stick on the higher terrain by mid-September. Every season people have encounters with wintertime slab avalanches as early as August or September. Anyone traveling in the mountains, including hikers, hunters, sledders, skiers, riders and ice climbers, needs to be aware of the avalanche threat as soon as snow starts to accumulate on steep slopes.
* People are often misled when they see grass and brush sticking out of the snow surface. You should start thinking about avalanches any time you have snow resting on a steep slope. Remember, all you need is a slab resting on a weak layer of snow. The ground can easily act as a bed surface, even if it’s only a few inches below the snow surface.
* Old summer snow fields can act as the perfect bed surface too. Hard frozen old snow with new snow on top are common culprits in early season avalanche incidents.
* Early in the snow season there is not much snow on the ground. This means that rocks and stumps are near the snow surface. If you get caught in an avalanche you might get tumbled through rocks, stumps, and downed timber. These obstacles can do great bodily harm to backcountry users traveling through them at high speeds. Knee pads, helmets and full body armor may not be a solution to this problem. Even a very small slide can cause great harm if the terrain is unfriendly.Don't let an early-season injury ruin your winter!
* Wind drifts will create thicker slabs. Strong winds can take a three inch snowstorm and quickly build an 18” wind slab. Areas with shallow snow may be very close to deep drifted areas. It may be quite easy to move from a very safe area to a very dangerous area without traveling very far. Wind drifts will be denser than the new snow and thick hard snow on light fluffy snow is a great setup for avalanching.
* Once the sun returns after a storm cycle and warm temperatures cause the new snow to melt, look to see where the pockets of snow remain. The snow that lingers in sheltered areas and shady slopes could be the weak layer after the next snowfall. These areas could also become recurring problem areas throughout the winter depending on how the winter snowpack develops.
* Pockets of instability can develop quickly above early season ice climbs. Climbers should know the terrain above their route as rapid warming or heavy wind loading can quickly work to build slab or loose snow avalanches which can nudge a precariously perched climber into a bad fall.
* Hunters traveling across the high country need to exercise greater caution on steep terrain (steeper than 30 degrees with accumulated snow) when crossing ridges from one valley to another
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Winter Storm...Wyoming & Colorado
Winter Storm Warning
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
609 AM MDT WED OCT 26 2011
...FIRST SNOWSTORM OF THE SEASON CONTINUES FOR THE MOUNTAINS...
FOOTHILLS AND ADJACENT PLAINS AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS
COLORADO...
THROUGH THE NIGHT...THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS HAS REMAINED NORTH OF
DENVER...ESPECIALLY FROM BOULDER COUNTY NORTHWARD THROUGH LARIMER
AND WELD COUNTIES. SPOTTERS HAVE REPORTED 6 TO 10 INCHES OF NEW
SNOW IN THESE LOCALES. MUCH LIGHTER AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES FROM
DENVER SOUTHWARD. MUCH OF THE AREA CAN STILL EXPECT LIGHT TO
MODERATE SNOWFALL THIS MORNING BEFORE DIMINISHING BY LATER THIS
AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED DOWNWARD ADJUSTED
A BIT LOWER FOR LOCATIONS FROM DENVER AND POINTS EAST.
THE SNOW SHOULD GRADUALLY DECREASE BY LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES
SOUTHEAST OF THE REGION.
THE STORM WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES. HIGH
TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL ONLY BE IN THE LOWER 30S ACROSS THE
PLAINS. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL DROP INTO THE TEENS. SINGLE
DIGIT READINGS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS.
COZ030>037-262015-
/O.CON.KBOU.WS.W.0011.000000T0000Z-111027T0000Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/
NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/
GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE
9000 FEET-LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET-
JEFFERSON AND WEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET/GILPIN/CLEAR
CREEK/NORTHEAST PARK COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GOULD...NORTH PARK...RAND...SPICER...
WALDEN...EAST SLOPES PARK AND NORTHERN GORE RANGES...GORE PASS...
RABBIT EARS PASS...DILLON...FRASER...GRANBY...GRAND LAKE...
HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS...KREMMLING...CAMERON PASS...
LARAMIE AND MEDICINE BOW MOUNTAINS...RABBIT EARS RANGE...
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK...WILLOW CREEK PASS...
BERTHOUD PASS...BRECKENRIDGE...EAST SLOPES MOSQUITO RANGE...
EAST SLOPES SOUTHERN GORE RANGE...EISENHOWER TUNNEL...
INDIAN PEAKS...KENOSHA MOUNTAINS...MOUNT EVANS...
WILLIAMS FORK MOUNTAINS...WINTER PARK...ESTES PARK...GLENDEVEY...
NEDERLAND...RED FEATHER LAKES...BAILEY...CENTRAL CITY...
EVERGREEN...GEORGETOWN...IDAHO SPRINGS...WESTCREEK...FAIRPLAY...
HARTSEL...LAKE GEORGE...SOUTH PARK
609 AM MDT WED OCT 26 2011
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING.
* TIMING...SNOW WILL CONTINUE WITH HEAVY SNOW AT TIMES. SNOWFALL
RATES UP TO 1 INCH PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE. SNOW WILL DECREASE
IN THE THE AFTERNOON.
* ACCUMULATION/WIND...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 15 INCHES
CAN BE EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS
ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SIGNIFICANT WINDS
ARE NOT EXPECTED.
* MAIN IMPACT...ROADS WILL BE ICY AND SNOWPACKED. DEPENDING ON
THE EXACT AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL...DRIVING MAY BECOME DIFFICULT OR
IMPOSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ON SECONDARY ROADS.
* OTHER IMPACTS...SPOTTY POWER OUTAGES WILL BE POSSIBLE
CONSIDERING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY WET SNOWFALL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REMEMBER...A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. SIGNIFICANT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS
OR IMPOSSIBLE.
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
609 AM MDT WED OCT 26 2011
...FIRST SNOWSTORM OF THE SEASON CONTINUES FOR THE MOUNTAINS...
FOOTHILLS AND ADJACENT PLAINS AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS
COLORADO...
THROUGH THE NIGHT...THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS HAS REMAINED NORTH OF
DENVER...ESPECIALLY FROM BOULDER COUNTY NORTHWARD THROUGH LARIMER
AND WELD COUNTIES. SPOTTERS HAVE REPORTED 6 TO 10 INCHES OF NEW
SNOW IN THESE LOCALES. MUCH LIGHTER AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES FROM
DENVER SOUTHWARD. MUCH OF THE AREA CAN STILL EXPECT LIGHT TO
MODERATE SNOWFALL THIS MORNING BEFORE DIMINISHING BY LATER THIS
AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED DOWNWARD ADJUSTED
A BIT LOWER FOR LOCATIONS FROM DENVER AND POINTS EAST.
THE SNOW SHOULD GRADUALLY DECREASE BY LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES
SOUTHEAST OF THE REGION.
THE STORM WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES. HIGH
TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL ONLY BE IN THE LOWER 30S ACROSS THE
PLAINS. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL DROP INTO THE TEENS. SINGLE
DIGIT READINGS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS.
COZ030>037-262015-
/O.CON.KBOU.WS.W.0011.000000T0000Z-111027T0000Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/
NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/
GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE
9000 FEET-LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET-
JEFFERSON AND WEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET/GILPIN/CLEAR
CREEK/NORTHEAST PARK COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GOULD...NORTH PARK...RAND...SPICER...
WALDEN...EAST SLOPES PARK AND NORTHERN GORE RANGES...GORE PASS...
RABBIT EARS PASS...DILLON...FRASER...GRANBY...GRAND LAKE...
HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS...KREMMLING...CAMERON PASS...
LARAMIE AND MEDICINE BOW MOUNTAINS...RABBIT EARS RANGE...
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK...WILLOW CREEK PASS...
BERTHOUD PASS...BRECKENRIDGE...EAST SLOPES MOSQUITO RANGE...
EAST SLOPES SOUTHERN GORE RANGE...EISENHOWER TUNNEL...
INDIAN PEAKS...KENOSHA MOUNTAINS...MOUNT EVANS...
WILLIAMS FORK MOUNTAINS...WINTER PARK...ESTES PARK...GLENDEVEY...
NEDERLAND...RED FEATHER LAKES...BAILEY...CENTRAL CITY...
EVERGREEN...GEORGETOWN...IDAHO SPRINGS...WESTCREEK...FAIRPLAY...
HARTSEL...LAKE GEORGE...SOUTH PARK
609 AM MDT WED OCT 26 2011
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING.
* TIMING...SNOW WILL CONTINUE WITH HEAVY SNOW AT TIMES. SNOWFALL
RATES UP TO 1 INCH PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE. SNOW WILL DECREASE
IN THE THE AFTERNOON.
* ACCUMULATION/WIND...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 15 INCHES
CAN BE EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS
ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SIGNIFICANT WINDS
ARE NOT EXPECTED.
* MAIN IMPACT...ROADS WILL BE ICY AND SNOWPACKED. DEPENDING ON
THE EXACT AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL...DRIVING MAY BECOME DIFFICULT OR
IMPOSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ON SECONDARY ROADS.
* OTHER IMPACTS...SPOTTY POWER OUTAGES WILL BE POSSIBLE
CONSIDERING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY WET SNOWFALL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REMEMBER...A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. SIGNIFICANT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS
OR IMPOSSIBLE.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Mountain Biker gets taken out by BUCK - CRAZY Footage - Only in Africa
I'm sure some of you have seen this video, but if you haven't...check it out.
Monday, October 17, 2011
F150 EcoBoost
After 260 miles the past week-end on my F150 EB pulling the 28 foot Featherlite enclosed trailer, I ended up with about 9.2 MPG. That included around town about 45 miles and the rest driving 65 -74 MPH highway. The big factor was a head wind of about 20 -25 MPH for about 120 miles. This is a small sample of miles. I have done the same trip in my F150 EB without a trailer and the result was about 17.5 MPG.
I got back from my trip on Monday with my F150 EB, parked my truck and trailer. Jumped into an F350 with the 5.4 gas motor and did a 280 mile round trip pulling an open single car trailer with an F150 on it. 140 miles into a 20 -25 MPH headwind and 140 miles back with a tailwind, 8.8 MPG for the round trip @ 65-75 MPH. I sure missed the power of the EcoBoost, huge difference.
Observations:
The EcoBoost pulls hard from a start to 70 MPH. Did not lose any MPH on inclines even against the wind. Motor has very good torque and low end useable power, minimal downshifting. It has the power I was looking for in a gas motor.
Not much sway from wind gusts, holds it's lane. Good aftermarket tires make all the difference in the world with a trailer this big or any load. The first thing replaced on my new trucks is the tires. The longer 6.5 wheelbase helps also along with Max Tow.
Pulling a trailer into the wind with any truck will always suck the fuel.
The small 26 gallon tank is not good(I was told this is the only tank you can get with the EB unless you order a fleet of trucks, then you can order the 36 gallon)...go figure.
Can't mount a winch on the front because cooling is a factor.
The F150 is a great truck, was gonna buy an F350 with the 6.2 gas. I'm not disappointed in the F150 EB with my set-up. I'm getting 2-5 or 20-40% more MPG than any of my other pick-ups and it's got the best motor.
I got back from my trip on Monday with my F150 EB, parked my truck and trailer. Jumped into an F350 with the 5.4 gas motor and did a 280 mile round trip pulling an open single car trailer with an F150 on it. 140 miles into a 20 -25 MPH headwind and 140 miles back with a tailwind, 8.8 MPG for the round trip @ 65-75 MPH. I sure missed the power of the EcoBoost, huge difference.
Observations:
The EcoBoost pulls hard from a start to 70 MPH. Did not lose any MPH on inclines even against the wind. Motor has very good torque and low end useable power, minimal downshifting. It has the power I was looking for in a gas motor.
Not much sway from wind gusts, holds it's lane. Good aftermarket tires make all the difference in the world with a trailer this big or any load. The first thing replaced on my new trucks is the tires. The longer 6.5 wheelbase helps also along with Max Tow.
Pulling a trailer into the wind with any truck will always suck the fuel.
The small 26 gallon tank is not good(I was told this is the only tank you can get with the EB unless you order a fleet of trucks, then you can order the 36 gallon)...go figure.
Can't mount a winch on the front because cooling is a factor.
The F150 is a great truck, was gonna buy an F350 with the 6.2 gas. I'm not disappointed in the F150 EB with my set-up. I'm getting 2-5 or 20-40% more MPG than any of my other pick-ups and it's got the best motor.
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Ford F150 EcoBoost
I bought my Ford F150 EB in July. It is the Max Tow - Max Payload, with the 6.5 foot box, it has 3.73 gears. I had a set of 285/70/17 - E-Rated BFG All Terrains with aftermarket wheels installed the day I picked it up. I had a Bull Bar installed and I got creative with the license plate because you cannot block the air flow up front.
The dash MPG computer shows 14.4 since I bought the truck. My driving includes pulling my landscape trailer around town(1500 - 3500 pounds, about 10% of my driving), some fireroad driving locked into 4x4, stop and go city driving and several 300 - 400 mile trips. 2 of the 400 mile trips was pulling my landscape trailer with 3500 pound loads.
When I reset my trip MPG, I get about 14.5 - 16 MPG with everyday driving. On the trips with a mix of 60 - 80 MPH, I get 16 - 18.5 MPG.
I just turned 6000 miles on my new F150 EB. This motor rocks, it creates useable torque, and has plenty of giddy-up and go. It is also the best gas mileage I have got with a 4x4 pick-up.
A couple of my thoughts for what they are worth.
Upgrading the tires, a must if you are going to use the F150 like a truck. Get the Max Tow / Max Trailer. It is not an F350, but I wanted gas mileage and didn't want another diesel.
My previous personal trucks have included 3 different 1 Ton Super Duties, 1 - V10 and 2 - 6.0 diesels and an 06 3/4 ton Dodge with the gas Hemi. I also drive an 09 F350 4x4 gas 5.4 pulling a single car trailer for my job, about 8000 miles a month. That gets anywhere from 8 - 11.5 MPG depending on size of vehicle and wind.
This is the trailer I'm going to use the next 2 days. A 28 foot Featherlite. I will put on about 250 - 300 miles so I'll see how it does. I just drove it about 40 miles today and it was no effort for the truck. No sway and it just jumps up to 70 MPH. I'll be driving between 65 - 75 MPH.
The dash MPG computer shows 14.4 since I bought the truck. My driving includes pulling my landscape trailer around town(1500 - 3500 pounds, about 10% of my driving), some fireroad driving locked into 4x4, stop and go city driving and several 300 - 400 mile trips. 2 of the 400 mile trips was pulling my landscape trailer with 3500 pound loads.
When I reset my trip MPG, I get about 14.5 - 16 MPG with everyday driving. On the trips with a mix of 60 - 80 MPH, I get 16 - 18.5 MPG.
I just turned 6000 miles on my new F150 EB. This motor rocks, it creates useable torque, and has plenty of giddy-up and go. It is also the best gas mileage I have got with a 4x4 pick-up.
A couple of my thoughts for what they are worth.
Upgrading the tires, a must if you are going to use the F150 like a truck. Get the Max Tow / Max Trailer. It is not an F350, but I wanted gas mileage and didn't want another diesel.
My previous personal trucks have included 3 different 1 Ton Super Duties, 1 - V10 and 2 - 6.0 diesels and an 06 3/4 ton Dodge with the gas Hemi. I also drive an 09 F350 4x4 gas 5.4 pulling a single car trailer for my job, about 8000 miles a month. That gets anywhere from 8 - 11.5 MPG depending on size of vehicle and wind.
This is the trailer I'm going to use the next 2 days. A 28 foot Featherlite. I will put on about 250 - 300 miles so I'll see how it does. I just drove it about 40 miles today and it was no effort for the truck. No sway and it just jumps up to 70 MPH. I'll be driving between 65 - 75 MPH.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Monday, August 08, 2011
The Art of FLIGHT - The Metal Trailer
Saw this teaser on Poor Mans Heli site.
Man, winter is just around the bend! Gotta start getting ramped up...
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