It's that time of year again. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway's annual snow guessing contest begins on Thursday, Oct. 1.
The contest tasks participants with guessing the day of the first measurable inch of snow at the Tramway's Mountain Station, located at 8,516 feet above sea level.
The first ten people to guess correctly win four regular tram tickets, plus a surprise gift.
To submit an entry, write the date on a postcard and mail it to, "Snow Guessing Contest, 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262." Only one date per postcard will be accepted.
Hundreds of people typically participate in the guessing game, which is made more challenging by the unpredictable weather patterns of Southern California. Snow falls atop the mountains only when large storms
swoop in from the Pacific Ocean, bringing moisture and cold air.
Last year, the first inch of snow fell on Sunday, Nov. 16. But a strong El Niño could impact snowfall this year.
The climate pattern known as El Niño occurs from abnormally warm surface water in the eastern Pacific, causing wetter conditions across the southern United States.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a "90% chance of a very strong event" this fall and winter, which would likely bring greater than average rain.
Take that into consideration when guessing the first snowfall. But be warned, the U.S. Geological Survey says El Niño does not necessarily mean more snow.
"While maps of average January to March snowfall suggest that El Niño winters are much snowier than normal, these averages reflect a small number of winters and can be skewed by a couple of seasons with exceptionally heavy snowfall," the agency said in an online report. "Counting the number of snowy El Niño winters tells a different story — most locations don’t receive 'above average' snowfall during El Niño events but are more likely to get a little or a lot."
So, it's still a mystery when the snow will fall, and especially how much snow there may be.
Sam Morgen covers local government for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway kicks off snow guessing contest
