It’s that time of year. The days are short, the nights are cold, and you just keep braising things. You sold the bike to make room for the wax bench. You bought a pass (or didn’t, whatever). For some reason your new goggles have a speedometer that talks to your phone. You’re ready for winter.

But is winter ready for you? That’s the question. Is it ski season yet? How can you know?

1. Look Outside – Are the mountains brown? If so, maybe just settle for another pot of hot cocoa.
2. Check Instagram – The surest way to know if anyone is skiing anywhere near you is to check Instagram. This early in the year, you can bet that a single day of mediocre touring will yield dozens of chipper social media posts about early rising birds and worms and “the goods.” Be aware that Instagram should inform the earliest bracketing of ski season, and photos of skiing on the internet do not necessarily mean you should get out there. Beware of nostalgic posts from last year!
3. Consult the Roof Racks – If you’re still seeing a lot of bikes up there, it’s probably not ski season yet. When you start seeing snowboards, it’s time to think snow, but maybe not head out quite yet. Downhill skis on the roof mean it’s probably ready for you to get out there, and tele skis mean green light. Once you see nordic skis, it’s full on.
4. Ask Blake – He’ll know. Or, if you don’t know Blake, ask someone else. Chances are, you know someone without a real job or any kind of prospect, who just skis a lot. Just as likely, that person has been out already, regardless of whether or not it’s actually ski season. Ask that person. Then use this handy decoder to figure out how the skiing actually was.
5. Reference the Data – If you’re really curious about mountain snow accumulation, you’ll do well to consult the vast network of remote sensing data supplied by the good people at the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Deep in the SNOTEL database you’ll find a wealth of valuable climate information. Information so valuable, apparently, that the minds at our USDA have seen fit to bury it like treasure. Treasure that they hope is never found. The end-user interface of the SNOTEL service has about as much polish as a third place third grade science fair entry, but if you’re patient you’ll find some really good stuff in there.

   

6. Go Up There – I know, it sounds crazy. But give it a shot. Just go up there and look around. Maybe it’ll be a winter wonderland, and maybe it won’t. At the very least you’ll go for a walk, and that’s not all bad. Don’t forget to bring good snacks.