Here we are nestled into mid-April. The New England ski areas have not seen any substantial snow events for weeks. However, the mountains are still offering plenty of spring snow surfaces to turn on.

As of today, Good Friday, there were still 16 resorts twisting the chairs in New England.

Most of them are still operating on over 75% of their terrain. These are the big players in the game who place a premium on making snow. That effort, coupled with the lack of a January thaw and great snows in the first two months of 2009 have blessed the skiers and snowboarders with beautiful spring conditions all through March and into April. All in spite of the fact that Old Man Winter left the party early and Mother Nature only gave us rain (she must have been crying over his premature departure).

Which do you want first? We got both today. It really does not matter because you are getting the low down either way. Mine as well start with the bad news.

Bad News: The weather system that went through our region yesterday did not drop any new snow on the ski areas of New England. Exception to the rule is that some places in Maine and the higher elevations in New Hampshire did report new accumulations. Even so, those spots only picked up and inch or two, not what we were looking for.

Good News: Cold air is going to grip the region. It will hang around until Saturday. Then things should become more seasonable (highs in the 30’s) and make for some very comfortable skiing and riding. The cold will stop the melting and help firm up the bases. The sun will be out in force. With the time change that means you can sleep in a little bit and experience great light all afternoon.

Monday brought some of the areas in New England much desired new snow. After a weekend of weather more typical of late April the region needed some cold air to stop the melting. The flakes that fell from the skies were just an added bonus.

Areas in Central VT and NH picked up the most substantial accumulations, some recording over a half foot. Those places would be Killington, Okemo, and Pico in Vermont. While Sunapee, Ragged, Pats Peak in NH faired best of all the New England resorts landing totals in the 7-8 inch range.

Looks like Saturday is the pick.

Sunday will actually be warmer, but on Saturday the sun has a much better chance of shining on the slopes. Temperatures are going to rocket north of freezing pretty much at every ski area in our region. Sunday it will more than likely be raining.

Left Coast Tangent: Certain places like Heavenly in Lake Tahoe got crushed with over six feet of new snow this week! This is one of the many pictures I received. Check out there conditions on SnoCountry.

photos credit danthriftphotography.com

Skiing in New England is off the charts!

Quite honestly, people should be getting on planes and heading our way for some turns. Monday must have been an absolutely incredible day to be out skiing or riding. The only issue, or should I write threat, is that all things can change in a matter of hours in these parts.

The good news is the long range forecasts are calling for cold air and more precipitation. The only risk (as of Monday night) is the atmospheric disturbance that moves through on Thursday. Hopefully, it brings us more snow. If you want a sure thing, get north before then.

Matt Tinker on Bubblecuffer - photo taken 2/23, courtesy of Sugarloaf

It is not a secret that the S.G. loves powder skiing.

When potential snowfall maps start showing widespread double digits it is obviously going to be good, if not excellent.

Stuff like this clip is only Fuel on the Fire...nice to have an expert backing up the common man optimism and prayers.

Lake Tahoe is getting great snow. They have seen three feet in the last week.

Many a local out there are probably thinking = Finally!

This link will get you to Heavenly TV and they update pretty much daily. Nice way to kill some time online...

Folks, we dodged a bullet. Earlier in the week, the S.G. was on the verge of a minor freak out. Temperatures have been well above normal since last weekend. No new snow was replenishing what was melting away. It felt like the beginning of April, not mid February.

Even worse, many of the mountains in our region experienced intermittent rain showers this past Sunday. Reports were that conditions went from the real packed powder to a more formidable hard pack/frozen granular surface. At least it was warm…

Then, last night the S.G. was watching an enormous blob of dark green and yellow on the radar taking aim at ski country. Not that easy to get all fired up and continue to post weekend deals hitting the inbox when hot water is falling on us. The S.G. was almost about to throw in the towel.

Reminder to Self: Take it Easy – this is New England. Good news ahead...

Is it just me or has it been snowing in Aspen every time I have taken a look at the television to watch the Winter X Games? Good for all those folks out in CO but we could use a little here at home.

Snow News: The headline on AccuWeather is that Heavy Snows and Ice are heading to the mid-Atlantic and North East states. They already have an accumulation map up that shows a large swath in the 6 to 12 inch range. Hit this LINK to learn more.

Suagarbush was making snow on Stein's Run all weekend long

Cold air is a good thing for skiers and riders. The mountains can make snow at will. Any precipitation event is more than likely snow. Still, what is going to happen later this week is just downright brutal.

Ski Report: So far this month has been perfect.

• No rain
• Grade of a B- for snowfall totals
• Lots of Cold Air

More snow in the forecast – image from AccuWeather

If you have not taken a look at the Conditions lately or been to the mountains to experience them first hand, you may not realize that the skiing in New England right now is fantastic!

Here are a few things to keep in mind and take into consideration for this weekend.

- Cold air is dominating the region, perfect for snow making...

- Most of the ski areas have between 90-100% of their terrain open.

Thursday brought a Big Surprise. A much-needed shot of unexpected SNOW crushed many mountains across the region. Some of the big winners are reporting over a foot in the last 24 hours and have picked up 20+ inches in the last 48.

Those are real numbers that will equal good weekend skiing.

Check Snow Reports

Friday: The wind was a problem today. I imagine that even if lifts were spinning, skier and rider traffic was meager. If you made the move on your weekend early and have Friday off you just hit a jackpot.

A week ago, the landscape of skiing in New England was substantially different then it is now. Since the two sizable snowstorms, the region has seen multiple rain events and a lot of warm air.

Unfavorable weather was just about the only thing that would have put a damper on the holiday spirits for skiers and riders. We got a good dose of just that.

Is it just me, or does this happen every year?

Mountains are reporting new snow totals between 24” – 48” in the last four days. A large percentage of those totals arrived on Sunday. The first real day of Winter made a mark.

Little known fact: dump 4 Feet of snow on any mountain in New England and the skiing will be breathtaking.

What we have now is just that—on top of the good bases half-heartedly jest about last week—and the skiing/riding is blissful.

S.G. on Mount Mansfield Saturday (12/20) the last day of Fall 2008

This snow update in from Attitash. During the day they were hit with a total of 8” base and 10” summit. Report from 4:06 pm EST.

image 12/17 (morning) from Attitash

The Lake Tahoe ski areas/resorts got a HUGE helping of holiday snow.

They have the yardsticks out for good measure!

This clip hit the S.G. Inbox from Heavenly

Looking good if you are up early and thinking of phoning one in for some POW...

image from Accuweather.com

So far, the S.G. has been staying away from following weather, at least making an effort to keep it toned down until we officially hit winter. It has been difficult to ignore though.

Just look at this week. Monday was frigid. Tuesday a time of transition. Wednesday brought mild temps with high winds and rain. Now it is Thursday and we are looking at a powerful winter storm.

This image ~ the pink = winter storm warning ~ is from one of my favorite weather sources NOAA

It looks like more ski resorts with be opening with a lot of terrain. New England is setting up for some strong skiing.

Intermittent snow showers and squalls should be the norm over the next few days for the mountains. Some places could end up with over a foot of additional natural stuff by this Friday.

Snowmaking efforts continue.

Update - New weather feature found…

Image from Accuweather.com

Plenty of resorts got good snow. Those with the best snowmaking that were already spinning the lift are the ones where you can go and take advantage of some fantastic conditions.

Sunday River has events and activities going on this holiday weekend. See the attached press release for details from the mountain itself.

The snow report came via email from Sugarloaf up in Maine. It read that the snow was still falling at a heavy clip around 3:30 pm EST.

The measurement just taken at the top of the SuperQuad was 10 inches!

The forecast up there could bring another 6 inches overnight. It does not look like they are going to see a changeover, should stay ALL Snow.

What some more reasons why the skiing up there tomorrow and Thanksgiving Day will be fantastic…

The ski area - which was making snow as fast as possible for a week - got a kiss from Mother Nature on Saturday 11/22/08. Reporting a foot of fresh powder must have made them the toast of the Ski Show…

Great Early Season Skiing = a few trails of manufactured snow + machine grooming + no crowds + a FOOT of powder on top

photo from resort: taken 11/22/08

There a several places across New England that still have plenty of snow for skiers and riders. Here are a few that wish to give you the opportunity to grab a chair and enjoy it.

This weekend will probably be their last.

Or you can always hike if you are willing to earn your turns.

8 inches of new snow gave powder hounds new life up in Sugarloaf, ME new lfe - pic from resort taken on 4/30/08

Spring has arrived in force. The warm air will encompass the ski area of New England this weekend. It should be a pretty darn good weekend for skiing.

The spring is the time of year when you can really get a good deal on lift tickets, lodging, or both. I would suggest looking around the conditions page at some areas you are interested in and then checking out their websites.

This past Sunday was a great Spring Day at Cannon, NH - looking down the Profile trail to the base area.

radar image from Accuweather

This weekend the weather is looking like this:

Friday - VERY windy, many lifts on hold across New England. Powder days for areas further north.

Saturday - Temps are colder than seasonal averages. Winds die down and clouds give way to prevailing sunshine.

Sunday - Chance of some icing on Saturday night, the morning will be crisp. Temperatures warm into the 40's for areas in the south. This will be a great spring Easter Ski Day!

Just in from a long three-day weekend of skiing in northern Vermont.

The skiing is still very good and the mountains are holding a lot of snow. Even better news is that the forecast is calling for new snowfall this week. There is still a ton of snow on the ground up there. All new accumulations will freshen things up considerably.

The Waterfall at Stowe gets a coat of green every Saint Patrick’s Day.

The day to take off is 3/17/08. Conditions in New England will be improving until then for ski areas up north. There is potential for lots of good powder on the ground Sunday morning!

Shorter Term: Tuesday night and Wednesday areas to the north are going to grab a solid 6”+ plus shot. This will be especially helpful in softening things up for the weekend.

The watch is on for what happens Sat/Sun, but still plenty of time until we get there. I am feeling really, really good about a powder day for the Irish skiers out there.

This image is from Accuweather.com

Unless you plan to travel all the way to The Great White North (Canada), the chances are that you may not see any snow until Sunday.

Unfortunately folks it looks like the majority of the New England ski mountains are in for the dreaded “R” with some Icing occurring and the lucky places will get a bag full of “Wintery Mix” in general, not good news.

The view of the Eagle's Eye Summit Restaurant, the top of the Gondola, & CPR Ridge at Kicking Horse on Saturday 3/1

Not sure about what we get this weekend. Kinda looks look either an ALL SNOW deal or a Total Bust (TB). Obviously, there will be a line in the sky telling the tale on the ground…

Questions with $$$ answers - where and when?

The rain to the south and wintery mix to the north both last night and today most certainly did not help the preservation of good conditions, but that has been our season.

Great Skiing!

Count to 13…

Quickly Smashed with Rain & Ice

Repeat
Repeat
Repeat

Image from Accuweather

Keep reading, much more....

There is a lot of snow in the forecast this week for the Ski Mountains of New England.

Some of the southern areas picked up some very welcome help from the storm that pushed through the region on Friday. This should have made for some good skiing. Especially when taken all the sunshine and comfortable temperatures into account.

graphic from Accuweather

Today is going to feel more like early April then late February. If you are fortunate enough to be skiing today, it should be a gem. Wednesday will be a GREAT day to call in sick and make turns if you can afford such.

New England is looking at a great ski weekend. Conditions will be very good at many resorts. You should definitely figure out how to get north.

Packed Powder Prevails: The truth is many areas saw rain Wednesday, but they also all picked up good snows first. Anything groomed will be spectacular early in the morning. The other stuff (not groomed) will soften with time as the yahoo’s get to it.

The areas further north in the Greens and Whites faired best with the changeover. Some even got ALL SNOW – like Jay Peak, reporting 14” in 48 hours and gearing up for more this weekend...

this picture of Brian Keet taken Wednesday courtesy of Jay Peak, VT

The skiing and riding in New England is exceptional! Some ski areas around the region stand to gain an additional foot Tuesday night into Wednesday this week.

S.G. Advice: This coming Monday is Presidents Day. Make a plan to ski over the weekend. You still have time, but not that much.

This past weeks snow was completely unanticipated. The weather said 2-4 inches and they got 8-12, and then it happened repeatedly. All week, as the snow kept falling, more and more people decided to make the move north for turns.

That was a good call.

I took this at 13:20 on 2/10 - somwhere in the woods on Mount Ellen (Sugarbush North)

Keep a close watch on the radar loops and the updated snow conditions at your favorite areas this week.

What happens up in the mountains over the next half dozen days or so will be crucial for skiing conditions in New England for the better part of February.

Many areas are in recovery mode from the Friday ice storm. Machine tilled surfaces have ruled the roost over the past several days. New snow would be very welcome. They are getting a little bit this morning. For conditions check this LINK.

Good News: Groundhog Phil says, “Six more weeks of Winter!"

Deep Blue skies on Monday around 11:00 am at Jay Peak, VT

It is all over the continent. This season North America has had an incredible start. Pick your poison and buy a plane ticket. There are some still steals out there if you look a little.

Destination ski trips are Very Cool. You should make one Every Winter.

Do you know where this was taken on 01/15/08?

The first Nor’easter of the New Year made national headlines. For most of us in the region, it was just more of what we had grown accustomed to in December. i.e. - Daily historic snow records being broken or challenged.

For New England’s ski slopes, the event was blissful after a January thaw that would go down in the books as one of the most punishing in recent memory. The only time I can recall exceptional conditions vanishing so quickly was right before the holidays in the 03/04 season. The warm spell we experienced in the last ten days was far worse.

Although this time around at least it held off until after Christmas and New Years. In fact, many resorts around the region are reporting the best holiday numbers they have seen since 1995.

All right folks, we had our January thaw. It was fun while it lasted, but the end is near. Thankfully, this season the skiing in New England has not only survived the warm spell but will be thriving again very soon thanks to historical snow totals in December.

Flashback: On January 10th last season (2007) the mercury hit 70°F in Boston.

Q: Remember that?

A: I do, it freaked me out, completely. That was the day I booked a short notice plane ticket and went to Colorado for some turns.

I only bring this up because other areas in the country are currently experiencing heroic conditions. Where you ask? Lake Tahoe (CA & NV) and Little Cottonwood Canyon (UT) are just plain killing it. In addition to the bounties of white stuff already on the ground more new snow is still falling.

picture of Snowbird, UT from RSN

Lots of SNOW!

These photographs are courtesy of Sunday River. Taken yesterday (1/2/08) and the “Proof” as they say is “In the Pudding” enjoy.

powder

Tuesday was New Years Day and with it came a fresh shot of new snow for the Ski Mountains of New England.

After scanning the snow reports, it quickly became apparent that almost everywhere got great snow. Most areas have seen at least 18 inches in the last 24 hours.

handout photo from Killington, VT

Okay, it rained this past Sunday. A lot of rain fell and it did not discriminate. No mountain went completely unaffected. These things happen.

The good news is that it was not a deathblow to the ski slopes of New England. Not even close actually…

Thanks to an unprecedented run of fantastic temperatures for snowmaking, coupled with multiple snowstorms, the bases the mountains had in place were able to absorb the hit of water.

That's DEEP!

I am just getting through my Inbox and had to fire up these images provided courtesy of Ski Colorado.

$$$ Powder Thought: Last season I found a very affordable non-stop flight from Logan (BOS) to Denver (DIA) on Jet Blue. It may be worth a look if time and other deterrents in your schedule will allow.

Title: Santa at Loveland
Date: 12/24/07
Credit: Loveland/Jan Moller

Breaking News: The first precipitation seen in downtown Boston at approximately 6:00 pm Sunday night. All snow!

This is a massive snowstorm closing in on New England. The skiing in riding will be fantastic later this week and into next weekend. I am confident that some mountains will be knee deep in powder with 100% of their terrain open. Start figuring out how to get north now.

Woke up early Saturday morning on December 1, 2007 and caught a look at the weather on Newscenter 5. They were showing a graphic of current wind chill temperatures, Worchester was 11ºF and Boston 17ºF.

Then there was a flash of the national radar…

WHOA! (radar loop from Intellicast)

With Thanksgiving now in past we can start focusing on the ski season ahead.

Over the long holiday weekend, a handful of additional Ski Areas began snow reporting (opened).

Some of the new players that have yet to get a mention on this blog are listed below. Welcome to the season. Check this LINK for additional information.

Bromley, VT
Okemo, VT
Smugglers’ Notch, VT
Sugarbush, VT
Crotched, NH
Loon, NH
Mount Sunapee, NH
Waterville Valley, NH

The 2007/2008 Ski Season is kicking off much in the same manner last years ended. So far, we have had many surprises and plenty of fresh snow.

Right now we are talking about snow and mountains that are opening!

These Samoyeds are owned by Jake Webster and they love the snow at Jay Peak! photo taken 11/16

S.G. Note: Most of my North Country contacts are actually down in the Hub for the Ski Expo. I would imagine that if everyone was back at their mountains I would have more info and pictures then I could possibly use. That said, if you are interested in a resort that is not mentioned hit this LINK.

Seriously, you must be kidding me?

This one took me by surprise. For years and years Killington has been the elephant in the room when it came to snowmaking and being the first to open. This season they were not even the first in the state of Vermont. What gives?

Let’s talk about Mount Snow.

New Owners: The ski mountain was purchased by Peak Resorts in April. The new owners have invested more than $6 million into the resort over the summer, including the purchase of 101 energy-efficient fan guns from SMI Snowmakers.

They are obviously flexing this new muscle now! pic form Mount Snow

The good news just keeps Marching in…

Thursday 11/08/2007 Jay Peak, VT was scoring some fresh flakes. These pictures were sent to me from a friend up that way, thanks much.

S.G. Note: I actually noticed a few things about this first picture. Those being, the tram was out (little early) and that it looked like there was smoke pouring out of it (No worries, it is really just snow blowing over the ridge)!

What else can you really say? I already have taken this Friday off and am thinking about Tuesday and Wednesday. The mountains are going to get blitzed with more than a foot.

The snow event will begin Thursday morning. There will be a break Friday into Saturday (time to ski). Then Sunday it will start again (could be some rain) and it will go right through Tuesday.

Best Picks for this weekend

Sugarloaf, ME - The annual Reggae Festival is this weekend. The resort has the best conditions on tap EVER (inception in 1988) for the ultimate spring skiing throw down in the East. Take an extra day and head to Maine.

From Intellicast

Sure it is April, but that does not change the fact that you Need to Be Ready. When it gets good you need to head to the mountains. This is New England so take advantage of great ski conditions whenever you can. This storm crushed certain ski areas.

Remember, it is still snowing up north. Early reports Thursday morning are indicating that the Greens of Vermont and the Whites of New Hampshire both got snow. Most of the open areas logging a foot plus of heavy, sticky, snowball snow from the events start yesterday morning.

One run can serve up frozen peas, corn, sugar, mashed potatoes, and some slush to wash it all down. That is a meal to be served with warm sunshine, fun events, music, and maybe a soda, or six.

Fantastic Spring Skiing is the special on the menus of all the mountains around New England for this weekend.

Later this week I will get a blog entry together on ski country happenings across New England for the rest of the spring. For now though, a quick review of what I found this past weekend.

Spread Eagles everywhere at Attitash!

This weekend’s snow storm will be long remembered by many skiers and riders. Not only for the bounties of new powder that it dealt to the slopes, but also for the drive to get there.

The roadways of New England turned into a complete and utter disaster Friday afternoon, into the evening, and remained that way throughout the night.

This group actually made it all the way to Killington, and then went off the road. Can you guess which state? Hit the message board.

The first day of March, which is absolutely the best month in New England to ski and ride, and we are talking about a SNOWSTORM.

We are talking about measuring snow totals in FEET by Tuesday. This storm is hanging around for a while in the mountains.

New Roemer update below...

Break out the Yardsticks!

The system that is going to roll through our region tonight, tomorrow and for some places may spit and sputter on the upslopes until Tuesday (most snow to fall all day Friday and Saturday night) is just what the doctor ordered for Spring Skiing.

This could not be coming at a better time following the blizzard from two weeks ago. It is like topping off that cup of morning coffee with fresh from the pot when you are down to the last sip!

flashback ~ the S.G. loving the powder at Jay Peak last season

Warren, VT – Unidentified suspect sought for noise violations. The skier was described as wearing dark colors, a helmet, and goggles.

The Charge: OVER USE of the built in safety whistle on his jacket, a good blast would often be followed by the dreaded, “Snowboarder Down!”

The Search: Hampered by DEEP snow all over South Basin.

The Skiing: Incomparable!

finding some fresh right off the bat, skier Lucas

Just this past weekend the Ski Guru made the trip to Sugarloaf, ME. The way this storm hit the mountains I should have not even bothered driving home.

For the record, Sugarloaf took 5 hours. That included 3 stops. One of which brought me to the Portland Jet Port to pick up a friend who flew in from NYC. All things considered, not bad.

the Loaf - snowmaking on Gondola Line

Update: Morning of 2/14/07

It looks like this storm is moving north on us. I was really hoping for the brunt of it to hit southern Vermont (for completely selfish reasons). As of this morning it looks like your Best Bet for Deep Pow Pow is going to be in Northern ME, VT and NH.

Yardstick! Hit this link for new snow totals as they are reported. LINK

Travel is extremely dangerous today! Roads will be closed. If you are not there already wait until tomorrow. And take it slow.

It is still probable that some mountains could see 4 feet before all of this is said and done Friday Morning.

Thought: I should have never left Sugarloaf on Monday. They are going to get whacked with the yardstick hard up there. The best skiing the mountain has seen in years. The Loaf is most certainly set up and waiting for this snow. They have done an exceptional job with the manmade stuff and now is when it pays off…

The snow/sleet/freezing rain line is still staying in MA south of the VT and NH boarders. This system is still packing a lot of punch. Stay tuned to the weatherman. Things can change fast…

S.G.

the sign says it all...snowiest month #1 at Sugarloaf is March

Super Bowl weekend – Without the Patriots involved who really cared about the game?

Plus - It snowed!

It took a little bit longer than I would have liked to get to the Cathedral of skiing in New England. Stowe, VT. When I write a little longer I mean 2+ hours on top of the usual three and change. Last Friday night was sketchy driving. The highways 93/89 were a disaster zone. It was snowing and the roads were incredibly greasy.

I threw it in 4X4 high and took my time. The iPod was rolling and so was I, albeit very slowly, north bound. The best part of the drive was seeing a BMW cruise past at a clip of 65 mph and then seeing that same car in the ditch five miles later. Learn to drive!

Liftline - loaded with snow!

Happy Friday! If you do not have plans to head north to the mountains yet this weekend you should make them. Maybe the new snow falling will finally inspire us all to start skiing this season.

For updated conditions check this LINK.

Photo from Pats Peak: snowmaking operations (taken sunrise 01/18/07)

Options were plentiful after a week of good weather for snowmaking in New England. All the resorts were pushing trail counts higher. The specialty of the weekend was man made snow groomed to perfection. All things considered the S.G. zeroed on one particular destination for skiing on New Years Eve.

Killington, VT. There are so many different reasons to choose Killington. Especially for a big weekend like the one that just passed.

• The nightlife is second to none.
• They have the most open terrain.
• Bonus – the people watching does not get any better.

Killington Peak

That is all I need. I often will find a nice trail and stick to it most of the day.

Ludlow, VT ~ Ski Guru kicks off the season on the snow at Okemo. It was an easy choice, the central Vermont resort boasts some of the best snowmaking and grooming operations around. First Day report to follow...

Weather: Sunshine, mild temps in the 30’s, gusty wind. In general – it was a very pleasant day to be outside skiing.

Trails: Okemo reported 31 open, with conditions of Machine Groomed snow on this past Sunday.

A look down at the enormous snowmaking pond - 70 feet deep, 155 million gallons.

At some point, if you look out your office window on Monday maybe, just maybe, you will see SNOW. I saw predictions for as much as 5” to 10” in the Hub (cough). So of course, I have been telling everyone that, right or wrong. Especially the people I have seen who are still walking around in shorts.

Sporadically throughout the course of this ski season I will be posting overall New England ski condition updates. The purpose is to help you and plan out trips to the mountains. Skiing is a weather driven activity—preparing accordingly is a must.

Keystone, CO from RSN.com

Some weather! Enjoy it while you can. It would be nicer in late April, not so much now. Here is the thing, it is going to change. You will wake up one day soon, look out your window, and see snow. The shift from these pleasantly mild temperatures for this time of year in New England will occur. That is a fact. It will most likely happen sooner rather than later. So you had better be ready.

Where is the SNOW? Here is a good LINK, take a few minutes.

At the Ski Show: The Roxy booth - A new all woman ski/snowboard company.

That was not the crack of a Smith & Wesson 6 shooter you just heard. It was the sound of resorts all across New England firing up their snow guns. Do you like winter sports? Fed up with stick season? I do, and I am...ready to ski.

We are now all officially on the clock (terrible cliché).

I have not the slightest idea where or when my ski season will begin. This for granted, as soon as it snows—it will snow, because we are DUE (inner voice, not going there yet…not in the first blog entry)—I will be out there, SKIING!

Flashback: POWDER DAY

S.G. in the woods at Jay Peak

This past weekend there were certain mountains that boasted their best conditions so far this season. Over the last week many of the resorts in the northern Green Mountains picked up snow totals measured in feet. The areas you should focus on are all a little bit further away, but if fresh snow is what you seek you will find it at the following: Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Smugglers Notch, Stowe and Sugarbush. Skiing is good, just in time for spring.

The snow was light and dry, the type often reserved for resorts out west. The winds have been moving it around, a lot. To find the goods pay attention to what is going on out there and head to the leeward sides of the trails and into the woods. There is still a ton to be had and more on the way.

Goat, all roped up - tons of snow!

As we stare down the weekend the heavens provided some natural snow. Conditions are improving as we approach the official start of spring. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Get north to New England’s ski areas. It has been SNOWING! Thank goodness. Take every inch that falls with smiles folks.

I took a glance at Snow Country Thursday and was pleasantly surprised. Sporadic lake affect snows sprung up all over New England in the last few days. Some resorts in the northern Green Mountains check in with totals of over a foot. The usual suspects: Jay Peak – two feet! Stowe and Smugglers Notch each got at least 18 inches. Sugarbush a foot plus. This is excellent, and there may be more on the way.

from Jay Peak: taken yesterday

The Green Mountains are operating in style. The areas all picked up wonderful and much needed snows this past week and into the weekend. Lake affects snow and a Clipper. Skiing has gone from blue square hero to powder loving zero. New England is in the best shape it has been this season.

There is also a system in the works that we should begin hearing more about, e.t.a. Thursday/Friday. More snow for the ALL the mountains! This coming weekend will be one that you do not want to miss. Enjoy it while we have it. Check Snow Country for your favorite montain's reports. March is the best month to ski around these parts. Look forward to warmer, longer days during the snowiest month for our ski areas.

Superastar in a whiteout Saturday afternoon

Old skier adage which still makes perfect sense... The best skiing will be found where the most snow is, right now the man-made stuff. Some of the mountains have been picking up a little natural (and it helps) from the Lakes. But, if you really want the best conditions this weekend think snowmaking.

When referring to the actual production of snow I have heard folks call it cultivating, manufacturing, creating, growing and blowing. When describing what has been produced; powder, gnar, sugar, sand, hail, and even Fake... Making snow is not easy.

Killington making snow. pic ~ S.G.

********SPECIAL DEAL ALERT********Friday, 2/10 ONLY******

Print a copy of this blog & present it at Customer Service at Jay Peak to get 3 tickets for the price of 1 this Friday, 2/10 only.

Folks, I woke up in the middle of the night early Tuesday morning in the midst of a complete panic attack. I could not breathe or move. I had no idea what was happening to me for a moment. Then I realized I was having a nightmare that our ski season was over!

Once I grasped the fact that it was only a bad dream and not reality, I was able to settle down a bit. It is still early February, relaxed…a sip of water to boot. The best days of New England skiing and riding are still ahead of us and the weathermen are chatting up a great run of artic air and snow.

The one thing we have going for us in New England is that when it bottoms out and things could not get any worse, inevitably they improve. Monday Boston got some snow, what a sight for sore eyes. I actually had a coffee with a friend from Vermont and she was awestruck by how wet and heavy it was. I told her, "Welcome to sea level." Most of her time is spent around the Stoweflake, which sits a couple thousand feet above the ocean on Mountain Road in Stowe, Vermont. When it snows there, the consistency is needless to say

Since December 23rd New England ski resorts have been getting absolutely beat up by Old Man Winter and Mother Nature. None of us can be sure what has gotten into those two, but the results they are yielding have had the same effect as Chinese water torture, literally.

Conditions were fantastic before the twenty third. Things were set up for a phenomenal season—as long as the weather held in a favorable pattern. Of course it did not, this is New England.

Cold and windy this Sunday @ the top of Super Bravo

The R word showed up on Monday with a vengeance across New England. Coupled with fog the two have wreaked havoc upon ski conditions all over New England. What happened? Did Old Man Winter have a few to many egg nogs over Christmas and fall asleep at the wheel? Apparently Mother Nature did not like what she found under the tree and has decided to punish all the winter enthusiasts across the region with an orgy of hot water.

For a detailed explaination CLICK HERE

Roemer Report:

Midweek outlook for ski weather provided complimentary by Jim Roemer.

WWW.BESTSKIWEATHER.COM

Boston, MA - Sunday morning I woke up and felt completely at peace. No alarm, no cell phone, no houseguest, no noise from the neighbor. It was snowing. The thermometer read thirty two degrees. I felt refreshed and relaxed. For me to see the flakes float to the ground is memorizing.

Picked up 1.5 inches on my back porch

1863: During the Civil War, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as the National Day of Thanksgiving.

2005: Mother Nature is calling it a Snow Day. Over the next 120 hours potential big snows at mountains which are already open—more soon to follow. Snow Country

Dr. Weather that is, snows and cold air in the forecast for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday! Those with plans to hit the slopes are shape for some excitement. It is about time, after that early season tease a few weeks back when we saw flakes in Boston pre Halloween we should all welcome a dose of good cold weather and some real snowfall in the mountains.

Here is the release…his website www.bestskiweather.com should be up and running sometime soon. I would reckon it will have a much different look and feel than in seasons past.

This past weekend a couple New England areas soothed the souls of many a skier or rider, unfortunately the mountains have since shut it down. If you must, blame the warm blast of air that has made walking around town fashionable again. Rest assured, winter will come. Take what happened last weekend as a blessing for many promising months ahead.

Jim Roemer (a.k.a. Dr. Weather) has decided to continue his work on Best Ski Weather (dot com). Over the summer he was contemplating retiring the ski specific/weather website that he founded.

pic of Sugarbush, South - taken Sunday - first snow. credit BDF

By Halloween some resorts will have tested their snowmaking systems, the others at least thought about it. Being first to open in the East carries some clout. If you own a pass, days operational is stat to heed. The shotgun start is November 1st

photo from RSN

Sage advice = Be Ready.

Think back to the 03/04 season. The New England skiing triumphant of VT, NH & ME got completely buried, it was only December 5-6 of 2003. People play golf on the Cape that time of year. Do you remember that storm? If you skied with it you most certainly do. There were upwards of 30 inches blanketing Southern VT & NH, with reports of 40 plus further north. Digging out of over 50’ across ME was the norm.

Spectacular early season skiing!

Deep