Thus far, the impacts on Whistler and Callaghan Valley have been minimal. They continue to get snow . . . it's snowing in Whistler as I type this. It is true, however, that temperatures are a degree or so higher at Whistler than during an average winter. It is interesting to note that, once you get above the valley floor, Whistler actually has received more snow than average this winter.
So at this point anyway, we're really talking about conditions on Cypress. The extrapolation of that to imply "all" the outdoor events require man-made intervention is one aspect of the reporting that bugs me, but expected. That's how reporting works these days.
Early on late summer when El Nino was first predicted, I recall reading an article that talked about the specific impacts of El Nino on the Coastal mountains. The article indicated that the impacts were often earlier in the winter (Dec & Jan) and that by February & March, the El Nino impact was nearly negligible (conditions nearly matching typical winter averages).
Of course, averages can be wrong, and now we're getting into specific dates, not averages. What happens just prior and during the specific timeframe of the Olympics is what will matter most. But I recall the article because it kind of surprised me. The data showed that, when looking at specific winter months, El Nino impacted conditions during the peak of winter but had far less impact on the end of the winter season.
I still tend to think it's a lot of needless angst, but we are at the jittery phase pre-Olympics so every little negative tidbit is going to be magnified and fretted over.
Prev
The media coverage of it is ridiculous. But journalism has turned more in to entertainment and ratings grabbing headlines than actual news.
Linear Mode
