• Make your way to Killington or Sunday River for some very limited early season turns.

• Hit up the Boston Ski and Snowsports Expo.

• Head to the House of Blues for a screening of Teton Gravity's Re:Session.

• Watch one of my favorite YouTube clips from 1974 in Alta (shot two days before I was born)….

  OK, that's probably not helping. Sorry. At least I didn't mention the record-setting November that Whistler just had - almost 14 feet and counting. Right?

Then there's the Wildcard special, which affords you three days of skiing for $130, the normal ticket window price for two. But Wildcat representatives will be on hand this week at the Boston Ski Expo (at the Bayside Expo Center, Thursday-Sunday), selling the Wildcard with the added bonus of a fourth mid-week day free with purchase. Even better, mid-week at Wildcat is considered Sunday-Thursday. Be aware though that the bonus days are limited. Wildcat sold out of them by Saturday at the expo last year.

That's four days of skiing and riding for $32.50 a day. Tough to beat that. Unless, of course, you happen to be a winter baby (guilty), in which case you ski free on your birthday at Wildcat, the only mountain in New England to offer that deal.

Still, winter is taking its time making its way to New England, a not-so-insignificant matter that has forced many resorts to push back their anticipated opening dates. While Killington and Bretton Woods hope to re-open soon, the lifts, er, lift at least, keeps spinning at Sunday River, where skiers and riders can enjoy four trails today.

All other mountains remain quiet, hopeful that temperatures cooperate enough for snowmaking.

But the weather could take a significant change next week. Accuweather hints that temperatures should finally fall below normal by the end of next week, and that we could potentially see a late-week storm come our way.

So, sit tight. We've still got faith in Accuweather's Henry Margusity, who last month predicted this:

Here is video of each of the three that the magazine included with its descriptions:

(The Black Hole comes in around 1:15.)

The Vermont resort was the only ski area east of the Mississippi to make the magazine's list, featured in this month's edition. In the category, "perfect for off-piste," local expert Chris Young, a principal at Craftsbury School, wrote:

It's not your typical warm, wet East Coast snow. The storms stick around for a few days. We might not get Utah's four-foot dumps, but the glade system maintains the snow longer—there are skiable pockets for days after the storm if you know where to go. People divide the mountain into two sides: Tramside and Stateside. The Tramside runs tend to have longer vertical and get more traffic. Two epic Tramside glade runs are Staircase and Everglade—they go on forever and have steep, tight lines. I ski Stateside; it's easier to get farther out of bounds. Local knowledge comes in handy. I'm going to get killed if I give you any more information.

The other resorts to make the list were Alta/Snowbird, Snowmass, Whistler-Blackcomb, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Jackson Hole, Alyeska Resort, Silverton Mountain, Breckenridge, Park City, Power Mountain, Bridger Bowl, Crested Butte, Steamboat, Taos, and Mammoth Mountain.

Connecticut

• Woodbury Ski Area

Maine

• Shawnee Peak

• Sugarloaf

• Sugarloaf snow

• Sunday River

Massachusetts

• Nashoba Valley

• Ski Butternut

• Wachusett Mountain

• Jiminy Peak

New Hampshire

• The Balsams

• Black Mountain

• Bretton Woods

• Cranmore Mountain

• Crotched Mountain

• Granite Gorge

• Gunstock

• King Pine Ski Area

• Loon Mountain

• Mount Sunapee

• Waterville Valley

• Wildcat Mountain

Vermont

• Bolton Valley

• Killington

• Smuggler's Notch

• Magic Mountain

• Mad River Glen

• Mad River Glen conditions

• Jay Peak

• Jay Peak snow

• Stowe

• Sugarbush

• Okemo

• Mount Snow

• Pico Mountain

• Stratton

More New England ski and snowboard resources

• Boston.com ski updates

• Eastern Mountain Sports

• NECN's Matt Noyes' weather tweets

• Lift Ticket Deals

• Meathead Films

• Ski Vermont

• Ski Maine

• Ski New Hampshire

• Ski Travel Guru

• Ski Coupons

• RSN Resort TV

• Mount Washington Valley

• Chinese Downhill

• Ski the East

• MoeSnowNH

Missing someone? E-mail travel@boston.com to suggest an addition.

• 1 in 14 of Americans consider themselves to be skiers or riders
• 14.8 million Americans participated in a snow sport in 2008
• The average snow sports participant is about 30 years old, has a college degree and household income exceeding $100,000 annually
• 1 in 5 female snowboarders are over 35 years old and plenty of girls are in the pipeline
• The snow sports demographic experienced a doubling in unemployment rate during the 2008.09 season as the economy tanked

That last statistic could prove significant for ski resorts during the 2009-10 season. While it's not surprising that the unemployment rate for skiers and riders would be on par with the rest of the country, it will be interesting to note whether this means longer mid-week lift lines with people out of work, or more enticing midweek deals to lure the cash-strapped unemployed to the slopes.

The $35 "Pico 35" tickets are available only online, and offer a $24 savings off the resort's peak price. There is a limit of four per order, and typical blackout dates (Christmas vacation week, Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, and February vacation) apply.

As for Killington, the Beast will be running two lifts today with access to intermediate and advanced trails. Early-season rates ($49) are in effect.

For the same price as last year’s card ($89), skiers and riders can save $25 on midweek, non-holiday, and $15 on weekend and holiday tickets at Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Loon Mountain. This season, however, the card includes a lift ticket good at one of the resorts. Consider that a regular season lift ticket at Sugarloaf is $75 ($77 at Sunday River; Loon has yet to announce its rates this season), and that can add up to big savings at the window.

The cards can be purchased online, or you can simply upgrade your one-day lift ticket purchase at the ticket window.

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).

Have a look – there are midweek options that start as low as $50 per person for a lift ticket and bed.

Whichever you’re fancying - Sunday River is the answer for the next few weekends.

Keep reading to find out what is happening up at Sunday River for this weekend and next.

The CEO of Vail Resorts Co. gave up his 2009 salary = $840K.

White Gold has perks,
S.G.

Purchasing a season pass from Okemo scores you all sorts of benefits. These include skiing at Okemo’s sister resorts, Mount Sunapee, NH and Crested Butte, CO. Plus Okemo’s pass alliance with Vermont’s Stratton Mountain will also still be in force next winter.

Still there is more: Here are some other benefits options Okemo is putting on the table.

• Purchase a 2009/2010 Ultra Pass or Peak Pass by April 30 will receive one Companion Day ticket, so the pass holder can bring a friend skiing for free, any one day during the entire 2009/2010 season.
• Okemo is offering a Pre-Buy Plus Spring Season Pass option. For a slightly higher rate, skiers and riders can purchase a season pass for next winter that also includes the remainder of this great season. This option is available now through closing day in mid-April.

If you purchase one now you will be allowed to use the lifts for the remained of this season as well! Plus the pass for next year will get you invited to the end of season pass holder events this Spring. Not bad – check out the price points with this LINK.

S.G. Note - The Family Pass could be a perfect solution if you have a place within a short drive of Shawnee next winter and more than a couple children in tow.

This weekend on Saturday (3/21) is the resorts Spring Fling!

Here is a You Tube clip from the Pond Skimming last spring.