Just how good was skiing in the NE this year?

[Jcb890]

Really? Even in Southern Vermont?

Here in MA we got absolutely hammered. In Central MA where I live, we got almost as much snow as they did So. VT which is unheard of.

Southern VT was at about 200 inches. So, maybe slightly above average. Most of New England was indeed a bit below average. It really was the consistent cold that made it so good this year.

2001 stands out as best in my lifetime. This year was top 10, maybe top 5. I would take a winter like this past one every year and be happy.

Next year let's hope we get just as many storms, but hopefully they'll dump more snow up North rather than in Southern New England like in MA. I love the snow and don't mind shoveling/snowblowing, but I'd rather get snow at the resorts than in my back yard personally.

I think over all this season ranked right up there with some of the best seasons in the past - heck I am still skiing. As others mentioned in some parts snowfall was a little below average but that did not really seem to matter since the temps consistently stayed below freezing. A short warm up and refreeze period in early January but that was followed with many snow events through to the beginning of March. March and early April also never really warmed up preserving both conditions and snow pack.

Was it cold - hell ya! But I would rather have cold than a thaw and refreeze. Ideal temps for me are 10-25 degrees but the coldest days below that range did not bother us and we just layered up!

Yup - this ski season ranks up there with one of my favorites!

It was quite cold. Like you said, my ideal temps would be anywhere from 0-25 or so. Spring boarding is great, but very warm. I don't mind the cold, just gotta bundle up a little more. I was out on days where it was 0 with -30 wind chill and wasn't really bothered by it, but that's who I am as well.

Also, this is my first season ever going boarding in April or May, so I'm pumped about that. I said to myself when the season started (I didn't start until Jan. 31st) that I wanted to get out at least a couple of times in April and at least once in May. Well, I was able to accomplish that! I'm pretty psyched about that since I had never done it before.

As good as it was, I would still take the west over the east. Went to Utah in March despite all the doom and gloom reported and it was still great (and even got a powder day). Rockies still rule IMO.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Well yeah, nobody is comparing the East Coast to anything else. But, for most of us, our only option is to ski/board on what we've got with an occasional trip. Personally, I've never been out West at all, but I would love to. With that being said, we have had a great season on the East Coast and if it were like this every year, I'd be thrilled.

I did notice this year that even on days where there wasn't fresh powder or fresh snow, that a lot of the snow (even the groomed stuff) was quite soft and manageable. Not nearly as much of the "Ice Coast" stigma this season.

 

[fbrissette]

I agree! I would rather have a year like this where the cold stayed around longer with a decent snowfall than to have a season where there maybe normal or better snowfall and a scorcher spring.

I'm about quality a lot more than about quantity. This season lacked the epic storms (at least in the north) to make it great. Awesome spring skiing cannot make up for the rest.

 

[dlague]

As good as it was, I would still take the west over the east. Went to Utah in March despite all the doom and gloom reported and it was still great (and even got a powder day). Rockies still rule IMO.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

I would hope so the mountains in the Rockies are 2 and 3 times the size of ours and their acreage in many cases ten times the size. I skied Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Kicking Horse this year under low snow conditions and it was amazing. Between lake Louise and Sunshine Village the ski-able acreage is 7558. No two ski areas in the Northeast can even come close to that - lets see, Killington and Sugarloaf are 2739 combined come closest.

 

[fbrissette]

No two ski areas in the Northeast can even come close to that - lets see, Killington and Sugarloaf are 2739 combined come closest.

And I think the eastern stations do some special accounting with respect to skiable terrain compared to their western counterparts.

 

[catsup948]

I'm about quality a lot more than about quantity. This season lacked the epic storms (at least in the north) to make it great. Awesome spring skiing cannot make up for the rest.

There were no big storms besides that mid december one. Much was suppressed south and east.

 

[steamboat1]

Season was alright, not great. I didn't get any real deep powder days, just a couple of days with several inches or so. I lost quite a few days because of the cold weather, either I didn't drive up or went home early because of it. I'm not a day tripper & usually go up for three or more days each time. Skiing surfaces were pretty good for the most part but that had more to do with snowmaking & grooming than abundant snowfall. Often ungroomed surfaces were hard as a rock although there were quite a few good days. Despite what some think about this spring I don't think it was anything exceptional. Most areas closed around the same time they normally do. We're only in the first week of May & there's only one maybe two areas planning to open again. More areas used to go deeper into May. It was a good year & it stayed cold as it should but the year doesn't stand out as anything special to me. That's my opinion anyway.

 

[ironhippy]

Not nearly as much of the "Ice Coast" stigma this season.

that was directly because of the cold we experienced. Normally it warms up, everythign melts a bit, then gets cold again and everything freezes and you're stuck with frozen icey snow until the next warm up or storm.

 

[dlague]

Season was alright, not great. I didn't get any real deep powder days, just a couple of days with several inches or so. I lost quite a few days because of the cold weather, either I didn't drive up or went home early because of it. I'm not a day tripper & usually go up for three or more days each time. Skiing surfaces were pretty good for the most part but that had more to do with snowmaking & grooming than abundant snowfall. Often ungroomed surfaces were hard as a rock although there were quite a few good days. Despite what some think about this spring I don't think it was anything exceptional. Most areas closed around the same time they normally do. We're only in the first week of May & there's only one maybe two areas planning to open again. More areas used to go deeper into May. It was a good year & it stayed cold as it should but the year doesn't stand out as anything special to me. That's my opinion anyway.

Now I feel like this winter sucked! Kidding aside, it sounds like you were in a different area, got out on the wrongs days or had very high expectations.

 

[Puck it]

Now I feel like this winter sucked! Kidding aside, it sounds like you were in a different area, got out on the wrongs days or had very high expectations.

There were no real big dumps this year. Just sustained cold to keep the snow pack. The snow totals were not over the top.

It was a pretty great year for us but not a great powder year.

 

[Jcb890]

Season was alright, not great. I didn't get any real deep powder days, just a couple of days with several inches or so. I lost quite a few days because of the cold weather, either I didn't drive up or went home early because of it. I'm not a day tripper & usually go up for three or more days each time. Skiing surfaces were pretty good for the most part but that had more to do with snowmaking & grooming than abundant snowfall. Often ungroomed surfaces were hard as a rock although there were quite a few good days. Despite what some think about this spring I don't think it was anything exceptional. Most areas closed around the same time they normally do. We're only in the first week of May & there's only one maybe two areas planning to open again. More areas used to go deeper into May. It was a good year & it stayed cold as it should but the year doesn't stand out as anything special to me. That's my opinion anyway.

It seemed to me like most mountains were not making much snow this year. In my opinion, I think places could have built up bigger bases (somewhat like Killington did with SS) and had snow last a bit longer into May. It was a cold winter, so they could have blown a lot more snow, but it seems like they counted on the natural snowfall and raked in the cash without needing to spend extra on snow making.

that was directly because of the cold we experienced. Normally it warms up, everythign melts a bit, then gets cold again and everything freezes and you're stuck with frozen icey snow until the next warm up or storm.

Yup. It stayed consistently cold a lot this winter. It was noticeable around me as well, snow lasted on yards and off the street longer than normal due to not much melting once it fell.

Now I feel like this winter sucked! Kidding aside, it sounds like you were in a different area, got out on the wrongs days or had very high expectations.

:lol: I certainly missed out on some of the fresh powder days this year. Next year I hope I can be more flexible and chase more storms for those great powder days.

There were no real big dumps this year. Just sustained cold to keep the snow pack. The snow totals were not over the top.

It was a pretty great year for us but not a great powder year.

^ This. Many resort areas were either at or below their yearly averages. Much of the snow dropped in Southern New England.

 

[Puck it]

Dropped in my f'ing driveway so I could not go skiing. Sucks when it snows where it is not needed.

 

[steamboat1]

It seemed to me like most mountains were not making much snow this year. In my opinion, I think places could have built up bigger bases (somewhat like Killington did with SS) and had snow last a bit longer into May. It was a cold winter, so they could have blown a lot more snow, but it seems like they counted on the natural snowfall and raked in the cash without needing to spend extra on snow making.

If anything I think they blew more snow this year. At least the areas I skied in central/northern VT. Heavy investment in new low e-guns made snowmaking much less expensive at a lot of areas this season. I know at Killington they rented less compressors than they normally would because of less air pressure needed for the new guns saving on rental & operating costs. What K did with Superstar is over the top. I wouldn't expect other areas to do the same.

 

[dlague]

Dropped in my f'ing driveway so I could not go skiing. Sucks when it snows where it is not needed.

Dropped in my f'ing driveway too but went skiing anyway! Then again I do not live in MA.

 

[Puck it]

Dropped in my f'ing driveway too but went skiing anyway! Then again I do not live in MA.

I need to dig out the rest of the brood before going anywhere.

 

[deadheadskier]

That task should be your son's rent.

 

[skiNEwhere]

that was directly because of the cold we experienced. Normally it warms up, everythign melts a bit, then gets cold again and everything freezes and you're stuck with frozen icey snow until the next warm up or storm.

This pretty much explains the conditions in colorado this season to a T, with even some r@!n thrown in which is extremely rare.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I'd say it was a great winter. Cold, plenty of snow, and uninterrupted tree skiing.

 

[fbrissette]

and uninterrupted tree skiing.

For northern Vermont, this is the only reason why this winter stands out. Otherwise, it is entirely forgettable.

 

[SkiFanE]

I'd say it was a great winter. Cold, plenty of snow, and uninterrupted tree skiing.

Trees were awesome. Just plain awesome. Lack of normal January/February freeze/thaw was the difference - it was still powder in the woods in mid-March. It truly was powder or packed-powder for 2 months. Freaking cold and windy though - I did bail totally probably 2 days - just couldn't do it. So much spring coverage.

 

[dlague]

I am amazed by some of the statements here. We had nearly 3 months of no thaw and conditions were nice whether you ski bumps, trees, or groomers or all of it. There are very few winters where we get a stretch like that. Yes at the very very end of December and a few days in the beginning of January we had a mini thaw but that was nothing. After that event, everything stayed in play even up to last weekend at the places that were still open. Seems like many forget the March scorcher we had a few years back. This year it is just arriving. Some must have forgotten the snow drought earlier in this decade. This was a very decent year in NE. The only thing lacking was a dry 3 foot dump in the mountains.