Season Total Snowfall So Far

[riverc0il]

A small sampling based on highest "official" numbers...

Saddleback: 126"
Smuggs: 121"
Jay Peak: 120"
Stowe: 113"
Bretton Woods: 102"
Killington: 100"
Mad Riven Glen: 92"
Cannon: 87"
Balsams: 84"
Sugarbush/Sugarloaf: 76"
Loon: 75"
Stratton: 72" (Yea Right-- Magic@50" and Bromley @56" BUSTED!)
Sunday River: 62"
Burke: 54"
Yawgoo: 32"



Just plain crazy. Will be interesting to see if things average out by the end of the season or not.

 

[deadheadskier]

Based on TR photos, I have a hard time believing Magic only has received 50 inches.

 

[2knees]

A small sampling based on highest "official" numbers...

Saddleback: 126"
Smuggs: 121"
Jay Peak: 120"
Stowe: 113"
Bretton Woods: 102"
Killington: 100"
Mad Riven Glen: 92"
Cannon: 87"
Balsams: 84"
Sugarbush/Sugarloaf: 76"
Loon: 75"
Stratton: 72" (Yea Right-- Magic@50" and Bromley @56" BUSTED!)
Sunday River: 62"
Burke: 54"
Yawgoo: 32"



Just plain crazy. Will be interesting to see if things average out by the end of the season or not.

that's pretty amazing for the beginning of january.

on the stratton thing, if they're measuring at the summit, they very well may be way ahead of bromley and magic. Stratton tops out around 3900 and bromley is at 3200 and magic around 2900.

 

[GolfingOwl]

A small sampling based on highest "official" numbers...

Saddleback: 126"
Smuggs: 121"
Jay Peak: 120"
Stowe: 113"
Bretton Woods: 102"
Killington: 100"
Mad Riven Glen: 92"
Cannon: 87"
Balsams: 84"
Sugarbush/Sugarloaf: 76"
Loon: 75"
Stratton: 72" (Yea Right-- Magic@50" and Bromley @56" BUSTED!)
Sunday River: 62"
Burke: 54"
Yawgoo: 32"



Just plain crazy. Will be interesting to see if things average out by the end of the season or not.

It's not hard to believe Stratton gets more than Bromley - they face different directions and Stratton has higher elevation. Snow totals on some of these storms have been very wacky. The big storm we got down in Philly in December there were differences of 6-12" in spots less than 5 miles from each other.

Not saying Stratton doesn't pad the stats but their numbers don't seem that out of line.

 

[jaywbigred]

Why does it say Sugarbush/Sugarloaf? They just happen to have received the exact same amount?

 

[billski]

The good news, I hope, is that we should survive a mid winter warm up fairly well. I'm anxiously awaiting a good storm in the mountains.

 

[polski]

This is snowpack rather than cumulative snowfall but I think it's a useful data point for this thread, especially as it displays a 55-year historical mean: Mount Mansfield Stake snow depth. (Relaying from the most recent weather thread.)

As of yesterday it was at 51", about 10" above average for this date. That's down 5" from the day before despite accumulation of a fresh half-inch of snow - given that nothing could have melted, that must've been a bit of compaction there, or something.

 

[WWF-VT]

Anyone know how the different mountains measure snowfall ? Some start counting from the first flake in October and others start counting once the lifts start turning.

 

[Masskier]

Anyone know how the different mountains measure snowfall ? Some start counting from the first flake in October and others start counting once the lifts start turning.

Excellent point. It is really hard to get a meaningful and fair comparison, cause each ski area has their own method of measuring. The biggest difference is when they start. ie: Jay Peak starts counting at the first flake usually October, Burke started on December 12th, when they opened.

And then some area's measure every hour of a storm, so they have no compaction, others measure once a day regardless, so they have more compaction. And also at what altitude are they measuring? lots of variables.

 

[tjf67]

This is snowpack rather than cumulative snowfall but I think it's a useful data point for this thread, especially as it displays a 55-year historical mean: Mount Mansfield Stake snow depth. (Relaying from the most recent weather thread.)

As of yesterday it was at 51", about 10" above average for this date. That's down 5" from the day before despite accumulation of a fresh half-inch of snow - given that nothing could have melted, that must've been a bit of compaction there, or something.

sublimation??

 

[kcyanks1]

Excellent point. It is really hard to get a meaningful and fair comparison, cause each ski area has their own method of measuring. The biggest difference is when they start. ie: Jay Peak starts counting at the first flake usually October, Burke started on December 12th, when they opened.

I think as of the last few years, Jay has reset their counter beginning with opening day. Sugarbush does this. MRG I think counts preseason snowfall. While coming up with a perfect answer is tough, I think that ignoring snowfall before you open does not make sense if at least some of that snow is still on the ground. I would probably use a rough rule that if a preseason snowfall is wiped almost completely clean, then maybe restart the clock. Otherwise count it. Mid-winter snow can gets wiped away too, it's just less noticeable when there is a already a good base there. Look at the Mansfield stake numbers that are being discussed here -- 5" apparently disappeared despite no warm up or rain. Then when we have warm ups or rain, more goes away. But we obviously aren't going to subtract that snow from the total.

In that sense, I can even see completely counting all preseason snowfall. Even if it doesn't give the best indication of current conditions (I don't see why total snowfall would be better than the "base" number and recent snowfall for that in any case), it is a good number to use as historical data for projecting snowfall for future seasons.

So I think starting with 0" on opening day makes the least sense, aside from giving the worst number for a ski area from an advertising perspective.

 

[jaywbigred]

Why does it say Sugarbush/Sugarloaf? They just happen to have received the exact same amount?

Bueller?

 

[riverc0il]

Bueller?

Yea, sorry for not posting for a whole 18 hours. What other reason would there be besides they have the same number?

 

[moguler6]

A small sampling based on highest "official" numbers...

Saddleback: 126"
Smuggs: 121"
Jay Peak: 120"
Stowe: 113"
Bretton Woods: 102"
Killington: 100"
Mad Riven Glen: 92"
Cannon: 87"
Balsams: 84"
Sugarbush/Sugarloaf: 76"
Loon: 75"
Stratton: 72" (Yea Right-- Magic@50" and Bromley @56" BUSTED!)
Sunday River: 62"
Burke: 54"
Yawgoo: 32"



Just plain crazy. Will be interesting to see if things average out by the end of the season or not.

Never mind questioning Stratton. How about Saddleback 126"? with Sugarloaf 76"? That's a 50" difference and they're pretty damn close to each other.

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

Never mind questioning Stratton. How about Saddleback 126"? with Sugarloaf 76"? That's a 50" difference and they're pretty damn close to each other.

Well, alot has to do with last two weeks or so. SB got about 15-20 inches more from the NY eve through the 4th storms and then all this pas week they got two or three inches everyday adding up to another 10-16 inches, while SL got nothing to speak of. So your looking at 25-36 inches right there. Then you gotta figure in where each measurement was taken at each. SL's base is 1400', SB's is 2100' to 2400'. My 2cents.

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

Bueller?

Why do you think?

 

[amf]

Canaan Valley in WV is ahead of Stowe with 114"! Go Mountaineers!

 

[bvibert]

I think Sundown has somewhere around 5"...

We could certainly use a big storm down here!