Weather Causing Great Bear to Close Tuesday Jan 4, 2022
Great Bear Ski Valley is pulling the plug on skiing and snowboarding for today. High winds are the reason for the closure.
According to the National Weather Service, winds are forecasted to pick up later this afternoon from relatively calm to steady at 20 - 30 miles per hour and gusting into the 50s.
The massive increase of wind will bring wind chills down into the bone-chilling negative single digits.
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On the bright side, the weather for the next couple of days bodes well for Great Bear to make a lot of snow. The overnight lows for the next three nights are expected to be -1, -9, and -5. That will turn sprayed water into snow in a hurry.
A winter weather advisory is in effect starting at 6:00 pm tonight until noon Wednesday, January 5. A little bit of snow along with strong winds blowing the snow around is going to be the main problem. Less than half an inch of snow is expected with this storm.
Currently, the Kirby Family Tubing Park has not opened for the season yet. The cross-country trails are also in poor shape due to the lack of snow we have received so far this winter.
A wind chill advisory will be in effect from midnight January 5 until noon January 5. Wind chills as low as 30 below zero are expected. Reduced visibility from blowing snow, most of this storm taking place in the dark of night, and the extreme cold could make for a dangerous situation. Frostbite can happen on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.
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