Does it always piss hot rain right before or on Christmas in eastern ski country or does if just seem that way?

[kingslug]

Well..at least the 4 trails open had snow on them all day today.
More on the way.

 

[GregoryIsaacs]

Bump. Looking like the inevitable pre-xmas week pissing will be occurring this week. Lets hope its a quick one this year. Tis the season........

 

[thetrailboss]

Bump. Looking like the inevitable pre-xmas week pissing will be occurring this week. Lets hope its a quick one this year. Tis the season........

Yep. Looks like it gets cold again next week with some snow here and there.

 

[Zand]

Plus this year there will be a week to recover...usually the Grinch Storm hits on the 23rd lol.

Pretty crazy that we made it from mid November to now with such consistent cold and plenty of snow to the north. And this seems more like a quick blip rather than a major meltdown.

 

[deadheadskier]

I don't blame the traditional Christmas melt for this one. I blame myself for signing up for a Master's Ski Racing camp. My track record?

2023 - fully cancelled due to rain / lack of snow
2024 - 1.5 out of 2 days cancelled due to rain
2025 - didn't sign up. Event went off fully without weather issues.
2026 - potentially losing Friday to rain

 

[Hastur]

this rain and refreeze is really gonna lock in the base!

 

[Smellytele]

I don't blame the traditional Christmas melt for this one. I blame myself for signing up for a Master's Ski Racing camp. My track record?

2023 - fully cancelled due to rain / lack of snow
2024 - 1.5 out of 2 days cancelled due to rain
2025 - didn't sign up. Event went off fully without weather issues.
2026 - potentially losing Friday to rain

The ice on Saturday will be perfect for racing.

 

[drjeff]

On the glass is half full side, after about a month of cold weather, many a stream/river that help fill snowmaking ponds, will have their reflow rates augmented, which some definitely need now

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

Since I have had race ski's I see the ice as a fast fun surface that thins out the crowds.
My wife told me that If I had not bought her a pair of race ski's she would have quit skiing by now. We went 125 days last year. That how useful a tool race ski's are on ice.

 

[Dezzy]

Pretty crazy that we made it from mid November to now with such consistent cold and plenty of snow to the north.

Discussed this on chair rides yesterday, the Snovember2018 was a great stretch into early December but otherwise this has been the best pre-winter solstice season since the 1990’s. Think Snow!

 

[deadheadskier]

Since I have had race ski's I see the ice as a fast fun surface that thins out the crowds.
My wife told me that If I had not bought her a pair of race ski's she would have quit skiing by now. We went 125 days last year. That how useful a tool race ski's are on ice.

No doubt about it, a good beer league or beefier race ski that's tuned properly is in a whole notha league from even a really good sport carver. While I'd be happy to never see ice again for the rest of my skiing days, ripping solid turns on ice with the right equipment is still hella fun.

Given 80+% of my days are in NH, my entire quiver is biased towards hard snow performance. There's some skis 100+ that can do okay on ice. My Volkl M102 would be one such model. But they're a far cry from my Nordica Doberman.

 

[4aprice]

Bump. Looking like the inevitable pre-xmas week pissing will be occurring this week. Lets hope its a quick one this year. Tis the season........

Ah yes, the Northeast showing her true colors. Just like clockwork, when you think your up big, the annual "Grinch Storm" appears. Deflating the moral of the eastern skier like an arrow piercing the Snoopy balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Sending some of your favorite trails and glades to the IR. Cest La Vie.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

seems pretty quick followed by upslope and a series of clippers.

 

[Zand]

Yeah this one is a lot less of a long term issue than previous years. There's been plenty of times in the past decade where the thaw went on pretty much the entire week of Christmas/New Years. This is one bad day.

I'm sure this weekend will suck just about everywhere but we're right back to snowmaking temps to resurface the icy shit and northern VT will be right back to the upslope. Unless another rainstorm comes at the end of next week everyone will be in fine shape again by Christmas week as far as having most snowmaking terrain in good shape. And maybe back on the nats from Stowe north by then as well.

 

[kingslug]

Its sucked here..all winter so far..currently pissing...