Ring in the New Year with a special New Year’s Eve episode of The Flakes Podcast 🎉❄️

Bryan and Mike break down where it’s been snowing across the country — from massive lake-effect totals in the Great Lakes and New York to feet of snow in the Sierra — and where things have been… well, weird. Very weird.

They dive into:

Huge recent snowfall totals across the Northeast, Great Lakes, Rockies, and West Coast

Why California is piling up snow up high while battling rain and high snow levels down low

A strange subtropical storm track pulling moisture north from Baja

Ongoing snow-level issues across the West and Rockies

What’s ahead for New Year’s weekend travel, skiing, and mountain impacts

A deeper discussion on La Niña, warm Pacific waters, the MJO, and what it could mean for January

Plus, Bryan shares some big industry news as OpenSnow becomes the official forecasting partner for Ski California and several major ski organizations — a win for grounded, no-hype forecasting.

As always, the goal is simple: clear, honest mountain weather insight without the 100-inch clickbait. Whether you’re chasing powder, planning a ski trip, or just snow-curious, this episode closes out 2025 with perspective — and plenty to watch as 2026 begins.

Happy New Year, and may the flakes be ever in your favor. ❄️🥂

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A Christmas Snow Miracle… For Some! 🎄❄️

It’s a Christmas Eve special on The Flakes Podcast, and while some regions are still sweating through record-breaking warmth, others are waking up to a full-blown holiday snow miracle.

BA, Evan, and Mike break down a wildly uneven Christmas forecast across North America:

The crew also dives into season-to-date snowfall leaders, shifting snowpack trends, and what a classic La Niña pattern means for where to chase powder as we head into January. Plus: heli-ski dreams in British Columbia, why patience is key after a big dump on bare ground, and a reminder to show some love to the crews working through the holidays to make skiing possible.

A white Christmas isn’t guaranteed everywhere — but for some lucky spots, winter has officially arrived. 🎅⛷️

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Forecast stress is real — and this week, it’s off the charts.

In Episode 4, BA and Evan break down a messy pattern across the West: warm atmospheric rivers, flooding and washed-out access roads in Washington, and snow levels bouncing around resort elevations from Tahoe to Utah. Translation: there’s moisture, there’s potential… and there’s a giant asterisk.

They also spotlight where winter is showing up (hello, British Columbia and a banner start in northern Vermont), then Evan sits down with Tahoe skier Maya Bickert to talk skiing, travel, and living (and thriving) with Type 1 diabetes — plus how to support loved ones and push back on misconceptions.

And as always: be kind to your local forecaster.

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As the West keeps waiting for winter to show up, Bryan’s beard is getting longer… which, if you follow Tahoe lore, is not a good sign. This week the crew takes a cross-country tour of where the snow actually fell—from JP’s monster totals to fresh storms in the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Montana, and interior BC.

Evan debates a spontaneous powder mission north of the border, Mike breaks down why the Northern Rockies keep winning, and Bryan accidentally transforms into Santa while filling out government forms. The gang also shares first impressions of OpenSnow’s new PEAKS AI forecast system and cautiously circles a glimmer of hope for a pattern shift as Christmas approaches.

Lighthearted, mildly chaotic, and full of weather nerdery—just another week on The Flakes.

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La Niña is acting more like Hot Nina this December, leaving Tahoe dry while the Northern Rockies and Northeast cash in on cold and snow. The Flakes crew breaks down who’s getting the goods, who’s stuck waiting, and why the long-range forecast is so tricky this season.

Grab your Smartwool, thank Alta for the Flakes Podcast Bump™️, and join us every Wednesday morning as we chase the season’s first real storm cycle. Winter will come… right?

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Winter is off to a weird start… and the Flakes are back to make sense of it.

In the Season 6 premiere, we dive into one of the strangest early-season patterns in years: warm storms, delayed openings, disappearing forecasts, and a desert southwest that somehow has more snow than the northern Rockies. We break down what’s happening, why the models can’t agree, and whether the long-range “fantasyland” holds any hope for real powder.

Plus:

Grab your Smartwool, thank Alta for the Flakes Podcast Bump™️, and join us every Wednesday morning as we chase the season’s first real storm cycle. Winter will come… right?

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OpenSnow.com welcomes The Flakes listeners with a special pre-season episode with your hosts (and OpenSnow forecasters) BA & Evan Thayer! Your hosts invite meteorologist Alan Smith to discuss what he thinks this upcoming season could look like based on the current models.

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OpenSnow.com presents a light-hearted discussion of mountain weather with your hosts (and OpenSnow forecasters) BA, Mike & Evan Thayer! Your hosts go through an updated top 10 list, along with all the snow that has fallen in the last 5 days. They wrap up the 24/25 season with special thanks to the sponsors and listeners.

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OpenSnow.com presents a light-hearted discussion of mountain weather with your hosts (and OpenSnow forecasters) BA, Mike & Evan Thayer! Your hosts go through an updated top 10 list, along with all the snow that has fallen in the last 5 days. They discuss the active first week of April that's bringing quite a bit of snow to most places in the West.

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OpenSnow.com presents a light-hearted discussion of mountain weather with your hosts (and OpenSnow forecasters) BA, Mike & Evan Thayer! Your hosts go through an updated top 10 list, along with all the snow that has fallen in the last 5 days. They discuss what's coming for the end of March as the ski season begins to wrap up.

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