Mt Snow Thread

[IceEidolon]

There's niche circumstances - low water pressure, a need for a certain trail right this second/absolutely first thing, or very infrequent snowmaking, that tip the scales towards modern Ratnik Baby SG2s. In most cases, I'd rather have more guns flowing more total water on more area than a quarter of the guns flowing a third of the water onto one trail - even in marginal weather.

 

[Newpylong]

Yes, you've said that numerous times and nearly every snowmaking manager would agree including myself (if I still was in the industry). I sold nearly all of our old hogs to other mountains save a small assortment for spot use. Along with them went our diesel compressor for a 60% reduction in air. It is logical and where the snowmaking industry is at.

 

[IceEidolon]

I have yet to work for a mountain that was on board with that philosophy, so you're getting the frustration of years of break room debates.

 

[urungus]

Any guesses on when the opening date will be ? Even Thanksgiving is starting to look iffy, here is the current mid-mountain forecast from the usually over-optimistic snow-forecast.com

 

[IceEidolon]

A couple overnight windows and one around the clock chance should get at least something open if there are staff to run the guns. I expect everyone at Snow will be very motivated to have something for the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

[ThatGuy]

Hoping I can at least ski one day in November.

 

[Newpylong]

If they get the temps for a good 36 hours they'll clobber it. Looking iffy though.

 

[drjeff]

If they get the temps for a good 36 hours they'll clobber it. Looking iffy though.

Definitely looking like one of those forecasts where if somehow the temps trend just a few degrees cooler, it may be all they need.

 

[slatham]

We're going into an fairly extreme negative AO and NAO pattern next week. This is typically a cold and potentially stormy pattern for the NE. However, the operational models have been all over the place with the Sunday-Tuesday storm, including the Euro a few days ago having an extreme freak storm. This might be one of those times to focus on the pattern and not what the deterministic models are spitting out every 6 hours. We'll see.....

One things for sure, its go time tomorrow night for all elevations.

 

[icecoast1]

Any guesses on when the opening date will be ? Even Thanksgiving is starting to look iffy, here is the current mid-mountain forecast from the usually over-optimistic snow-forecast.com

View attachment 52215

Depends on which forecast comes to fruition, could be wednesday or thursday if things trend colder, but i'm sure vail is in no rush

 

[KustyTheKlown]

opensnow started their new england narrative reports for the year, and they're calling for some bullish numbers in the next 10 days. I'm skeptical.

 

[ThatGuy]

Just finished changing my oil and putting on the snow tires…hope it dumps but I’ve learned not to get hopes up.

 

[Pez]

I've got one more weekend of yardwork, so the opening day getting pushed off isn't a big deal. I'd rather wait till they get some natural anyway.

 

[ericfromMA/NH/VT]

A couple overnight windows and one around the clock chance should get at least something open if there are staff to run the guns. I expect everyone at Snow will be very motivated to have something for the Thanksgiving holiday.

On thier instagram people are pissed they arent open because they have "thanksgiving week trips planned" and "I cant cancell my hotel", demanding refunds, etc...

IDK but if you book a week long thanksgiving week ski trip at a southern NE resort, IMO youre an idiot.

but Mt snow sucks because weather lol

 

[drjeff]

Mother Nature needs to start getting her act together and help the snowmakers out, especially on the lower 1/3rd of the mountain!

Taken this afternoon

 

[RichT]

On thier instagram people are pissed they arent open because they have "thanksgiving week trips planned" and "I cant cancell my hotel", demanding refunds, etc...

IDK but if you book a week long thanksgiving week ski trip at a southern NE resort, IMO youre an idiot.

but Mt snow sucks because weather lol

Anytime before mid December..............you're an idiot!

 

[drjeff]

Anytime before mid December..............you're an idiot!

I have definitely noticed with the surge in sales of Epic Passes that the amount of complaining about weather related items (amongst other things ) that no ski area has any control over, has increased.

It's almost like many of the Epic newbies, who likely don't live, or spend much time in the mountains and/or seem to struggle with the basic concept that you need COLD air to make snow, seem to think that there's this imaginary switch that ski resorts flip on about the 1st week of November, and all of the sudden ski areas go to full mid winter conditions and operations....

I almost got the feeling in the Mount Snow region yesterday that more than a few Epic newbies had shown up thinking that their original targeted opening date of November 19th happened, and were shocked to see them not open and the down low areas were just patches of unconnected snow that finally were able to be made by the snowmakers in the previous 24-36hrs when temps finally let them run down to the base.

On the flipside, the lack of lifts spinning sure looked like it was a big plus for business at the Snow Republic Brewery as their parking lot was filled with cars parked out along the side of route 100 as well as I was heading back to CT about 3PM!

 

[urungus]

@drjeff is it your opinion that Vail is just as aggressive at snowmaking as Peaks was ? I only go to Mt Snow a couple times a year, and realize Mother Nature hasn’t been cooperating, but it still doesn’t seem to me like Vail is making the same effort

 

[Mum skier]

On thier instagram people are pissed they arent open because they have "thanksgiving week trips planned" and "I cant cancell my hotel", demanding refunds, etc...

IDK but if you book a week long thanksgiving week ski trip at a southern NE resort, IMO youre an idiot.

but Mt snow sucks because weather lol

I am wondering how many non pass holders will have booked accommodation (for any Vail resort) for the Christmas/New Year period to find that tickets are being limited. That is if they really are being limited. Are there still people who just show up at the ticket window to buy a full price day ticket and would not realize.

 

[drjeff]

@drjeff is it your opinion that Vail is just as aggressive at snowmaking as Peaks was ? I only go to Mt Snow a couple times a year, and realize Mother Nature hasn’t been cooperating, but it still doesn’t seem to me like Vail is making the same effort

To get things open, yes, just as aggressive as Peak was (the weather this year has way too often had the wet bulb temp a couple of degrees to the warm unfortunately, especially on the lower say 1/3rd of the mountain) and some pictures I saw yesterday from someone who hiked over to the Northface sure had it seeming like if they wanted to upload/download and just open freefall that if they're not already there production wise, they're really close right now.

What seemed to happen last season, and who knows if it was fully planned or COVID related, is that they didn't turn the guns on as much in late January/early February when they had GOOD temps to really augment the base depths that last foot or so like I recall they did under Peak on numerous trails. I will be curious to see what goes on this year, especially if mother nature is feeling cooperative temps wise as we near the traditional end of the snowmaking season somewhere around President's week.

Right now, based on what I saw yesterday, mother nature needs to give the snowmakers a solid 36-48hrs of GOOD temps down low, without taking much away if it's not a continuous run, to get them open based on the roughly 24hr run of production they had a few days ago