Spartan Daily

Dorian Silva, Spartan Daily

Alexei Griesbach came back after winter break feeling disappointed.

The sophomore international business major said he usually hits the slopes several times every winter.

"I did make it up to North Star about ten times, but it's been pretty dry," Griesbach said. "There was only man-made snow."

Associated Students had originally scheduled a trip to Tahoe on Jan. 23 for students who wanted to get in some snowboarding, skiing, or snowshoeing, but the group will now be going on Jan. 29, according to Kristine Kirkendall, assistant director of Recreation Activities for Campus Recreation.

The trip was rescheduled because Dodge Ridge, the closest slope to SJSU, located nearby the city of Sonora, was closed because there wasn't enough snow, Kirkendall said.

"We are hoping that after the storm last week there will be plenty of snow," she said.

Griesbach said he is not sure if he will be able to go with the group Sunday.

"It depends what the forecast is like," he said.

Griesbach said he has been focusing his time on trying to start up a skiing and snowboarding team at SJSU with a few friends.

"SJSU had a great ski club in the '80s," Griesbach said. "I want to bring the love of snow sports back."

The team is not yet recognized by the school, but Griesbach said he plans to apply to become a recognized club this semester.

This winter's snow levels are very low compared to the normal range, said Johnny Powell, spokesperson for the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

"The last storm gave us about six feet of snow," he said. "This was the first accumulation since Thanksgiving."

Junior English major Matt Bradford said he was was also hoping to go snowboarding over break.

"There wasn't really enough snow until it was already time for me to head back to school," Bradford said. "I was really disappointed."

Bradford said he won't be able to go up with the group from SJSU because he has to work on the weekends to help pay for school.

According to Martin Leach, a lecturer in the meteorology department, there could be concern of a drought.

Weather patterns are constantly changing, Leach said.

"We will have to see how things progress," he said.

Because there has been a fair amount of moisture from the most recent storm and there are still three months left in the season, there is a good chance of getting closer to the norm, Leach said.

Alex Gonzales, a sophomore business major commuting from Gilroy to San Jose, said getting to work has been more difficult lately.

"It's usually not that bad waiting for the bus," Gonzales said. "When it rains, everything is slower."

The buses are always running behind, he said. "I deal with it, because I know we need the rain."

Rainfall for this winter is 22 percent of the normal range, said Chris Stumpf, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.

Last year, San Jose had about 75 percent of the normal amount of rain, he said.

The normal amount of rain is about 6.99 inches, according to the weather service.

A rain year typically starts on July 1 and ends on June 30, Stumpf said.

"We aren't too worried yet. We still have until March to catch up," he said. "If we get to mid-February and still haven't had much, then we might begin to worry that it might be a dry year."