(h)Opening Day Thread 2018-2019

[ss20]

One of my favorite threads each year is the opening day thread...the inevitable SR vs Killington comments. Someone uniformed shouting "don't forget about Woodbury!" even though they've been closed going on 3 seasons now. The people coming out of left-field saying Mt. Never-opened-earlier-than-Thanksgiving is gonna steal the show this year. People saying "they're only blowing out the mice- this isn't real!" as a webcam shows maximum snowmaking production. Skiers who "brag" about how they don't go out til after MLK weekend because the conditions suck anytime beforehand. The "armchair meteorologists" coming out and making crazy claims about how the temperature at the summit is gonna be 15 degrees cooler than what NOAA forecasts...just a lovely time to be on the forums :lol:

Well there certainly won't be any historically early openings this year. Just no cold air to speak of. Usually Sunday River has done a teaser on a 35 degree day by now but not this year. But at least the ponds are full, that's for sure :lol:

Anyways...not to tease without any information...

This is the NOAA temperature outlook map for October 6-19. It's old, last updated Spetember 21. This is not severity, just a % chance that the temperature will be above or below normal.


It's worth noting that NEXT weekend, the 6-8th, the European, GFS, and Canadian all have some type of cold front coming through! Just something to watch and get the juices flowing again! We'll be skiing sooner than later people!

 

[mister moose]

One of my favorite threads each year is the opening day thread...the inevitable SR vs Killington comments. Someone uniformed shouting "don't forget about Woodbury!"

Don't forget the year Beech Mtn in NC opened first on the east coast.

I don't think anyone can forecast more than a week in advance air mass movement to any accurate degree. Things move, stall, other factors pre-empt it, or it just doesn't materialize.

Opening day could be anywhere from October 20th to November 10th. Or so.

 

[MEtoVTSkier]

Don't think you'll like the update



http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/814day/

 

[Smellytele]

Not ready yet any way

 

[podunk77]

As someone who's without heat and hot water from the gas explosions in Lawrence/Andover/North Andover, I wouldn't mind a couple mild weeks ahead. Once I have my gas back, the temps can plummet and the ski season can begin. :lol:

 

[slatham]

Euro has no sustainable cold air - in fact is way above normal - through mid October (which is as far out as the daily model goes). The weeklies show some cold air coming thereafter - second half of October.

 

[180]

need the Bermuda high to collapse

 

[Not Sure]

Euro has no sustainable cold air - in fact is way above normal - through mid October (which is as far out as the daily model goes). The weeklies show some cold air coming thereafter - second half of October.

While a cold October is good for stoke it’s often bad for the rest of the season. JB says a wet October is what we’re looking for in terms of a better skiers winter.

October 2011 I had 14” .... crappy rest of the year.

 

[thetrailboss]

Don't think you'll like the update

View attachment 24041

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/814day/

I like that better.

As to the original question, no openings here in Utah until the week of Thanksgiving. We will be lucky if we make that. It has been WAY above normal temperature-wise and we have not had any rain in four months. So colder and wetter is welcome.

I will be interested to watch the perennial Sunday River vs. Killington match.

 

[180]

wait to the second half of October.

 

[ALLSKIING]

wait to the second half of October.

That's what I've been hearing!

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[IceEidolon]

Don't forget the year Beech Mtn in NC opened first on the east coast.

Or the year Sugar Mtn NC had the most open vertical for a few days. Beech, Sugar, and Cataloochee are right up with the big guys for summit elevation, it's just their bases are way high too.

I hope Killington has enough weather to pull off their race - that's probably a good 'decent preseason' barometer. Same way 100% open for New Years is a good early season metric for Poconos resorts.

Sent from my Life Max using Tapatalk

 

[WoodCore]

Was enjoying this, where to go early season article from Liftopia until I got to the Vermont section. How can you write an article about this and leave Killington off the list?

https://blog.liftopia.com/resorts-early-season-skiing

 

[tnt1234]

Are the trees open yet?

 

[mriceyman]

Are the trees open yet?

Been open all summer


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[BenedictGomez]

Was enjoying this, where to go early season article from Liftopia until I got to the Vermont section. How can you right an article about this and leave Killington off the list?

Everything Liftopia writes about the east is done poorly. They are a west coast company, with (obviously) mostly west coast employees, as their knowledge of all things east is clearly limited.

Often they'll write a clickbait "list" article (i.e. Top-10 Resorts for XYZ), and you get the sense they toss in 1 or 2 eastern entries as tokens, but their logic or accuracy is often laughable. You point out a great example here, anyone who recommends Stowe over Killington for the first few weeks of the season clearly has no idea what they're talking about.

Here's a line from that Stowe write-up that's a real doozy:

The highest skiable elevation is only 3625’, but that doesn’t stop early season skiers and riders from coming out to play.

lol

 

[mister moose]

... anyone who recommends Stowe over Killington for the first few weeks of the season clearly has no idea what they're talking about.

Their wording was "pre Thanksgiving turns". As if no one else is open pre-Thanksgiving, and as if Stowe has any standing whatsoever as an early season contender. Sheesh.... Jiminy Peak opens before Thanksgiving.

 

[Bostonian]

I expect to be at Mount Snow opening day again this year. Never running for public office again - it ruined my ski season last year.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I expect to be at Mount Snow opening day again this year. Never running for public office again - it ruined my ski season last year.

Shiva Ayyadurai is among us?

 

[slatham]

I think Killington will be Uber aggressive with an early Thanksgiving. I thing they test with the cold this weekend and are locked and loaded for the cold shot around the 18th which looks to be reasonably deep and long and while it breaks, its followed by more cold shots to allow a base to be put down. Nov 1st is well within reason.