Winter-storm warning: Up to two feet of overnight snow. The first day of the US National Championship at Soldier Hollow, Utah could turn in to be a lot tougher than the usual 15 and 30-kilometer mass-start race.
The local weather forecast calls for anything from 2-4 inches in Heber and up to 1-2 feet of overnight snow in the Wasatch mountains. The winter storm warning ends at 11 AM on Tuesday morning. The women start at 9.30 while the men go out at 11.00.
The course that will be used is the Olympic 5-kilometer. That’s as tough as the toughest World Cup courses. Three laps for the women and six for the men.
We skied the course in a light snow storm on Monday at race time and wet, new snow at 35 degree Fahrenheit (+2 Celsius) made for soft and slow skiing.
The temperature on race day is expected to be warmer than 32 F and choosing the right structure will be a (big) factor.
Coaches and skiers were busy testing skis and structure on Monday.
