Whitehorse skiers, snowmobilers lament lack of snow

Anybody hitting the cross country ski trails at Whitehorse's Mount McIntyre this weekend will see something odd a snow-making machine hard at work.

"We do hope we'll get some more natural snow, but just in case, we'll make some," said Claude Chabot, chief of competition for theHaywood National SkiChampionships, a majorevent coming to the trails in March.

"We want to have, ideally, a good, solid 15 to20 centimetersof base [snow] for good conditions, good grooming. Right now, we're pretty low," Chabot said. "We couldn't survive a big melt, if we had a January thaw."

Organizers have identified several spots on the trial system that are considered "risky" if the weather warms for example, open areas and south-facing slopes.

"Our goal here is to just pre-emptively coat all of those [and]get a real good base laid down.So if we do get a melt, we're going to be okay for our races."

'Taking its sweet time'

Chabot said even though the snow pack is low, there's still enough for good skiing right now.

It's a different story for snowmobilers, some of whom have been frustratedby rocksand icewhere typically there would be smooth trails and piles of soft snow at this time of year.

"It's kind of bleak," said Doug Caldwell at Yukon Yamaha. "Usually, we've got a good few feet to play with."

He said some snowmobilers have even been injured on unexpectedly rough and rocky trails.

Caldwell said he's hearing there are areas outside of town that have better conditions for snowmobilers, such as Atlin, the South Canolarea and the White Pass. But he's hearing "mixed things" about the normally popular HainesSummit.

The snow is "taking its sweet time this year," he said.

An abnormal year

"It's really hard to say what's going on," said David Millar, a retired Environment Canada meteorologist and avid weather-watcher. "Overall, it has been kind of dry and mild for the Yukon."

"It just seems to be an abnormalyear.It could be part of climate change.We've hadvariationsin our temperatures over the last few years, and it's been quite mild."

Millar believes one possible factor is a warmer-than-normal Pacific Ocean, effecting the way storm systems move intothe region. The snow, he says, may be getting diverted into Alaska, or B.C.

That wouldn't surprise Chabot.

"Italk to the guys at Whistler[B.C.]all the time, and they have over fourmeters of base right now, laid down," he said. "And Isay, 'Why can't we get some of that?'"