It's been a very wet late December and early January (so far). We haven't gotten any real torrential rain. It's just been more of a constant drip with cobalt gray skies more reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest than the Bay Area. Normally this time of year I would be cheering this weather because it means snow in the Sierras, but this percipication hasn't exaclty translated to massive snowpack yet. I bought my season pass for Heavenly ($319) just before I left for Costa Rica and like last year, I didn't get a chance to ski before New Year's. I wanted to go on Christmas Day or the day after, the last two days before my pass was blacked out for the remainder of the year, but then it was 48 degrees and raining in Tahoe, so I stayed indoors in Oakland. Hopefully I can make the pass worthwhile this season. I probably will not ski as much as last year when I rented a house in South Lake and was up there just about every weekend. I figure if I can get 10 days in inclduing a trip to Vail to take advantage of the 3 free days there it will have been a great season.