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Hunter is making snow - 11/17/20

da-bum

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Can't stash one's bag under benches or tables. So if you want to bring any snack, refreshment or food, you have to carry it with you. They also need reservation to sit down to have lunch, with small tables that looks like 10ft from each other. It looks like one's car would be the center of action, whether its to change or have lunch. The parking lot at the north might be the place to park in the future (or maybe the parking spaces by the end condos).

As for the opening day, the mountain must have been open for skiing previously, since Hellgate was pretty chopped up when I did my first run at 9:30. With the default of 1 party per chair no matter how small it is, it was pretty slow going up, even though the line looked pretty short (they reroutered the entrance for the flyer, so what use to be entrance to the chair is the start of a line that loops to the rear of the lift). I can't imagine how a more crowded weekday would be, let alone the weekend.
 

da-bum

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Some early access benefit to the seasons pass holders. It seems like it is snowmaking condition every night up to Dec 8 and beyond.
 

cdskier

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Don't understand, its 24 degrees at the summit.
Perhaps they don't have the temps at the base to make snow there...

Some early access benefit to the seasons pass holders. It seems like it is snowmaking condition every night up to Dec 8 and beyond.
Not at the base at least according to the weather source Hunter uses on their website...
1606881178670.png
 

kingslug

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Cloudy with snow showers becoming a steady accumulating snow later on. High 36F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. 5 to 8 inches of snow expected.
 

180

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They opend last week on 36 hours of cold at lower elevation. Seems like they could again. Marginal, but doable, looks like a financial decision to me.
 

da-bum

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There is no base left at the bottom. Temps at the bottom are marginal at best. 5-8 inches wont do shit to cover all the rocks.
If it gets below freezing during the night, they could pile up the snow everywhere, including the base. What happened to snowmaking capital of the world? Where are all the T40s that the were bragging about?
They opend last week on 36 hours of cold at lower elevation. Seems like they could again. Marginal, but doable, looks like a financial decision to me.
Just like Peak's "smart snowmaking" where they made just enough and left so bare patches whenever a warm spell came.

They could close any days up to Dec 8th w/o any repurcussion, but by the 9th, even if it is bare, they will open, otherwise they would have to refund season's passes for the people who reserved those as their preferred days
 

drjeff

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If it gets below freezing during the night, they could pile up the snow everywhere, including the base. What happened to snowmaking capital of the world? Where are all the T40s that the were bragging about?

Just like Peak's "smart snowmaking" where they made just enough and left so bare patches whenever a warm spell came.

They could close any days up to Dec 8th w/o any repurcussion, but by the 9th, even if it is bare, they will open, otherwise they would have to refund season's passes for the people who reserved those as their preferred days

There is a limit as to what even the most advanced snowgun/fan gun out there can do, with limited hours and marginal temps and not the best humidity situations, which is what precisely the weather forecast, ahead of this weekend, for Hunter is looking like.

When you've got a wet bulb in the upper 20's, which is what the majority of the forecast for Hunter seems like it will be, for those hours when the have snowmaking temps, you just can't make a lot of product, as you can't run as much water through the gun.

Hunter pushed it last week to get open. The weather for the most part with respect to snowmaking since late last week, hasn't been favorable at all, short of a couple of small windows. Lots of warmth and rain earlier this week. No matter how much we all wish that that scenario results in them being open, the reality is that it can't happen right now.
 

cdskier

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There is a limit as to what even the most advanced snowgun/fan gun out there can do, with limited hours and marginal temps and not the best humidity situations, which is what precisely the weather forecast, ahead of this weekend, for Hunter is looking like.

When you've got a wet bulb in the upper 20's, which is what the majority of the forecast for Hunter seems like it will be, for those hours when the have snowmaking temps, you just can't make a lot of product, as you can't run as much water through the gun.

Hunter pushed it last week to get open. The weather for the most part with respect to snowmaking since late last week, hasn't been favorable at all, short of a couple of small windows. Lots of warmth and rain earlier this week. No matter how much we all wish that that scenario results in them being open, the reality is that it can't happen right now.
It truly amazes me how difficult this is for people to understand...

So many people see dry bulb temps of upper 20s in the forecast and think resorts should be able to fire up the guns at those temps and somehow get enough production to cover virtually bare ground. Physics would say that is not reality.
 

icecoast1

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If it gets below freezing during the night, they could pile up the snow everywhere, including the base. What happened to snowmaking capital of the world? Where are all the T40s that the were bragging about?

Just like Peak's "smart snowmaking" where they made just enough and left so bare patches whenever a warm spell came.

They could close any days up to Dec 8th w/o any repurcussion, but by the 9th, even if it is bare, they will open, otherwise they would have to refund season's passes for the people who reserved those as their preferred days

Most snowguns at those temperatures are essentially really expensive lawn sprinklers. Just because you see temperatures slighly below freezing, doesn't mean it makes sense to turn on a snowmaking system
 

kingslug

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Looking at the latest weather it did warm up just enough ..with humidity to limit snowmaking..oh well.
As always..these weather reports change as the week goes on. Unfortunately sometimes in the wrong direction.
 

kingslug

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This is how we do it to figure out if we can shut off the chillers and go to free cooling using the cooling towers to create cold enough water for cooling purposes. Its also how Automated building management systems calculate if they can open the outside air dampers to allow more outside air into a building or go to recirculating air.
Yes..I do it for a living and a few days ago it looked like the weather would allow snowmaking. it now doesn't until Saturday. Its just frustrating to see a snow storm and have to watch it on TV. Its a bit stressful these days running commercial real estate in NYC...and not being able to go to VT without taking weeks off in a row.
oh well.

psycometric chart.jpg
 

abc

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by the 9th, even if it is bare, they will open, otherwise they would have to refund season's passes for the people who reserved those as their preferred days
You sure 'bout that?

Refund is provided only for Covid related closure. Lack of snow is specifically mentioned to NOT be included.
 

JimG.

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They pushed to make snow and open for Thanksgiving. Turned out to be a bad investment. Now back to square one.

Maybe in past non-COVID years they would push again to reopen before 12/8. Not happening this season.
 

da-bum

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You sure 'bout that?

Refund is provided only for Covid related closure. Lack of snow is specifically mentioned to NOT be included.
Their original allowence is if you cannot reserve a block of dates you waned, with this delayed opening, they are in effect retroactively apply that clause. Otherwise, why would they open up in the middle of the week where the temperature outlook seems to be the warmest, and keeping it open on those weekdays where its mostly locals that would be showing up. Plus, there's chatter about requesting for refunds on other resorts that are changing their opening dates to after the dates people originally reserved for.
 
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