< Back to front page Text size – +

Burlington, Vt., weathering record weekend snowfall

E-mail|Link|Comments () January 6, 2010 06:54 PM

AP photo/AP Photo/Emily McManamy, Burlington Free Press

Digging out in Winooski, Vt., near Burlington, over the weekend.

By Shana Wickett, Globe Correspondent

What to do after nearly 3 feet of snow blankets your town over a single weekend? In and around Burlington, Vt., they embrace it -- especially those who enjoy hitting the slopes.

A winter storm dropped 33.1 inches of snow from Saturday morning to early Monday morning, breaking the previous record of 29.8 inches for a single storm set in December 1969. Residents said today that they were simply going about their business, albeit more slowly than usual.

City Councilor Ed Adrian said snow removal has gone smoothly because there was little buildup beforehand -- there were about 5 inches on the ground before the storm hit. As of this afternoon, around 17 inches of snow remained on the ground, and the city was expected to get flurries tonight and Thursday.

"I think people were really thirsty for snow," Adrian said by telephone, adding that it measured up to his 3-year-old son's neck. "[Vermont residents] really appreciate having the four seasons, and winter is certainly on top of a lot of people's lists."

Adding to the seasonal allure: The fresh snow was "really light and fluffy," he said. "Even when you walk in it, it kind of puffs up around you."

Business was booming at Cochran's Ski Area in Richmond, where powder skiing is rare since it is located on a hill rather than a mountain, said Anya Schwartz, an employee.

"It's hard to be an employee at a ski area on days like that," Schwartz joked, noting that she shut down the snack bar early so she could hit the slopes with customers.

"There were lots of people with tongues hanging out, going up to the T-bar, trying to catch snowflakes," she said.

Megan Rice, another employee at Cochran's Ski Area, has hit the slopes since the snowstorm. "The snow has been wicked," Rice said.

Catamount Outdoor Family Center in Williston, which hosts cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding, opened last week before the snowstorm. Customers arrived in excitement as the snow piled up, said Eric Bowker, executive director at Catamount.

"They took a little while to get themselves out of their driveways and yards, but once they finally did, they came here," Bowker said.