You might win(ter) big, tram fans: A snow-guessing contest is now open

WEATHER BUFFS? We know them, love them, and, quite possibly, are them. We're the people who like to predict when the first fog of the season will settle over our town, when the thermometer might read "100" for the first time during any given year, and, if snow is expected, when that snow will begin to fall. But displaying these talents? We don't always get the opportunity, unless, of course, we're up on those competitions that involve predicting what might happen months, or perhaps weeks, down the road. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway adores the meteorologically minded among us, an affection that becomes more apparent each October. That's when the attraction's Snow Guessing Contest begins, all to give weather buffs a chance to snowily surmise when "the first inch measurable inch of snow" will fall at Mountain Station.

THE SKY-HIGH STATION, which sits at 8,516 feet, is quite the snowy scene during the wintertime, which might surprise those people who think of the area as solely sunny and perpetually warm. But when that first frosty inch will fall is, as of now, anyone's guess. Postcards with entrants' best guesses are now being accepted and the first ten postcards with the correct date will win. Victors will be treated to four tram admissions as well as a tram-themed gift, and, of course, bragging rights. Even if you don't enter, consider this: The October start date for the tram's Snow Guessing Contest is a refreshing reminder that, yes, the summer scorch is on its way out the door, something nice to think about as a sizable swath of California continues to simmer. Cool down here while you review the contest rules and how-to-enter information.