Snowmaking underway at Killington

[Greg]

Recently posted on K's Facebook page:

Snowmaking is underway for the 2009-10 season at Killington Resort. We started at 1 a.m. with a number of guns going on Reason in the Northridge area. By later this evening, we expect to havemore than 100 Low E Ratnik and HKD guns going on Rime and Upper Great Northern.

Mother Nature also helped us out with 4 inches of new snow at Killington Peak and 1.5 inches at K-1 Lodge.

Based on the current forecast, we’re expecting good production for the next four-six days as overnight temperatures ranging from the middle 20s all the down to the middle teens. The long-range forecast shows another cold weather system moving in around the 24th.

As for opening, we're still shooting for early November. However, we will open as soon as we can provide a quality top-to-bottom skiing and riding experience here at Killington.

Don’t forget the season pass and K50 ticket deadlines are Thursday at 11:59 p.m.

 

[millerm277]

That seems to leave three possibilities.

1. Killington goes for it and hopes the snow holds until the 24th to refresh/expand.
2. Killington stockpiles and does basebuilding above the Snowdon Poma, waiting until the next system to go lower.
3. A mix, they blow just enough to get them through the weekend down low, and everything else goes to high elevation.

 

[Geoff]

If you're to believe present forecasts, conditions look good into Monday.

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Killington/6day/top

I don't know about that. I see three nights where they can blow lower Bunny to get it open for Saturday morning. Once they get to Saturday, the freezing level is up around the base of the Glades triple and it's humid. I doubt they'd make more snow after Friday night unless it was something like upper Double Dipper or Downdraft Headwall.

As I said, the next 4 days will be interesting to watch.

 

[Highway Star]

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Killington/6day/top

I don't know about that. I see three nights where they can blow lower Bunny to get it open for Saturday morning. Once they get to Saturday, the freezing level is up around the base of the Glades triple and it's humid. I doubt they'd make more snow after Friday night unless it was something like upper Double Dipper or Downdraft Headwall.

As I said, the next 4 days will be interesting to watch.

Thanks for posting that - I think we'll see them setting guns down through snowdon today with snowmaking this afternoon!!! Temps look good!

 

[tcharron]

K looking purty. Now, just a few more snow squals....

 

[Geoff]

The longer term weather projections are all over the place. There are storms coming up the coast and, depending on the storm track, Killington might stay mostly dry or it might get pissed on heavily.

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Killington/6day/top
Snow-forecast is saying Monday is heavy rain right to the top. 2" of precip.

The NWS looks way better:

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday Night: A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Monday: A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52.

The NWS discussion is:

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 230 AM EDT WEDNESDAY...ANOTHER LOW CONFIDENCE EXTENDED
FORECAST WITH VERY LITTLE RUN TO RUN OR MODEL TO MODEL
CONSISTENCY...NOTHING TO HANG YOUR HAT ON. THE EXTENDED BEGINS
WITH FRIDAY NIGHT AND LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CONTINUING TO MOVE AWAY
FROM THE NEW ENGLAND COAST...AS UPPER LEVEL LOW TAKES SHAPE OVER
WESTERN PA/EASTERN OH. VERY COLD AIR WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE
REGION AS 850 TEMPS DIP INTO THE NEGATIVE SINGLE DIGITS. DURING
THE DAY SATURDAY UPPER LEVEL TROF SLOWLY SLIDES EAST...AND
OVERNIGHT SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY THE UPPER LEVEL LOW CUTS OFF OVER
THE MID ATLANTIC REGION. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS OVER
OUR SOUTHERN ZONES SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY AS UPPER LOW HAS
VORTS SPINNING AROUND IT AND ATLANTIC MOISTURE STREAMING INTO THE
SYSTEM. DURING THE DAY SUNDAY A SURFACE LOW ALSO FORMS JUST OFF
THE COAST FROM THE MID ATLANTIC STATES. ON SUNDAY THIS LOW TRACKS
TOWARD LONG ISLAND NY...AND SLOWLY TOWARDS CAPE COD ON SUNDAY
NIGHT. SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WILL BE THE BEST CHANCE FOR
PRECIPITATION AS UPPER LOW SLIDES TOWARD CAPE COD AND SURFACE LOW
LIFTS NORTHEAST FROM CAPE COD TOWARDS NOVA SCOTIA. PRECIP SHOULD
END OVERNIGHT MONDAY...FOLLOWED BY A DRY DAY ON TUESDAY.

Weather.com 10-day is aligned with the NWS through Monday and is calling for 50's and showers next Wednesday/Thursday/Friday.

I imagine Killington pays some specialized weather service to give them a specific longer range forecast. If I were making the call to turn on the guns on lower Bunny Buster tonight to get three overnight blows for a Saturday opening, I'm not sure what I'd do. There's some chance it could all wash away if a Sunday/Monday coastal storm tracks inland instead of off Cape Cod.

 

[mister moose]

I imagine Killington pays some specialized weather service to give them a specific longer range forecast. ...There's some chance it could all wash away if a Sunday/Monday coastal storm tracks inland instead of off Cape Cod.

Even if Killington hires a "guru" weather forecaster, they aren't much ahead of what you just posted. You can talk to the trainers, the jockeys and consult historical race results all you want, but it's still a horse race.

You pays yer money, and you takes yer chances.

 

[Riverskier]

If Killington is really looking to redeem themselves with their core customers, it seems to me they really have no choice but to try and open this weekend. Besides, blowing snow in mid October there is always the risk, or almost likelihood of it washing away at some point. That said, base building this time of year without the intention of trying to open makes no financial sense at all.

 

[dangah]

Guns still blazing at 11:30.

Some photos from earlier:

Will try and get up the mountain tomorrow morning for some shots.

 

[Geoff]

bump

The Tom Horrocks hall of shame thread.

 

[Mildcat]

That's an awesome shot.

 

[BigK]

bump

The Tom Horrocks hall of shame thread.

Lets just remember Tom doesn't make the snowmaking decisions......Relax Geoff

 

[Geoff]

Lets just remember Tom doesn't make the snowmaking decisions......Relax Geoff

Let's just remember that Tom Horrocks hyped cold temperatures and snowmaking for the last week. I find the whole thing extremely dishonest and it merely reinforces my perception of these people as speakers of half-truths.

 

[BigK]

Let's just remember that Tom Horrocks hyped cold temperatures and snowmaking for the last week. I find the whole thing extremely dishonest and it merely reinforces my perception of these people as speakers of half-truths.

Forecasted temps have gone up. Also precip is now forecasted. Precip = higher humidity
Low temps are not in the teens anylonger and doesn't support 24/7 snowmaking at kbl...

 

[skiingsnow]

Let's just remember that Tom Horrocks hyped cold temperatures and snowmaking for the last week. I find the whole thing extremely dishonest and it merely reinforces my perception of these people as speakers of half-truths.

It's cold and they are blowing a ton of snow!! No dishonesty or half-truths...

He said:

"The short-term plan is to stockpile at the peak. We'll have to see if the forecast allows for snowmaking down Lower Bunny in this window. If not, looks like another good window for snowmaking temps begins on the 24th. Right now though, we're taking it day to day."

Sounds like he gave the truth the whole truth and nothing but... You said yourself yesterday "No huge deluge" , and then today you say it may rain 2".

 

[millerm277]

Let's just remember that Tom Horrocks hyped cold temperatures and snowmaking for the last week. I find the whole thing extremely dishonest and it merely reinforces my perception of these people as speakers of half-truths.

Um, Tom was enthuiastic, but hasn't once said something untrue to date. We just took "We're going to make snow!", and ran with it, eventually morphing into a giant rumor-mill based on nothing really. There has not been a single statement from Killington stating ANYTHING to the effect of "We're going to open this week!", or even "Our goal is opening this week".

 

[jerryg]

Um, Tom was enthuiastic, but hasn't once said something untrue to date. We just took "We're going to make snow!", and ran with it, eventually morphing into a giant rumor-mill based on nothing really. There has not been a single statement from Killington stating ANYTHING to the effect of "We're going to open this week!", or even "Our goal is opening this week".

This seems to be the case. It's like people read one of the half-dozen threads about snowmaking/first to open, read the rumor that K and SR were battling for first opening, and created the story that this was K's intent. I'm not trying to argue with Geoff or anyone else, but the only thing I've read on AZ about K's plans are that they are making snow and plan to open as soon as possible.

 

[BigK]

They WERE trying for this weekend...Things change and they are making the right decision here. Keep pounding the upper mountain, so when the temps arrive to blow down to K1 they can open extremely fast.

 

[Geoff]

They WERE trying for this weekend...Things change and they are making the right decision here. Keep pounding the upper mountain, so when the temps arrive to blow down to K1 they can open extremely fast.

My point is that Tom Horrocks spammed this forum with hype about cold weather and blowing snow for a week. When given the opportunity, he never shared the criteria for opening the mountain. Instead, he just kept twittering on about snowmaking and cold temperatures. When Steve Wright had the job, we would have gotten straight talk about what was and wasn't possible.

It's 28F with low humidity at 2000 feet. Killington could have made snow to the bottom and opted out. Sunday River didn't. In my opinion, the whole "Beast of the East" thing is a pile of crap. This is POWDR business as usual. Little wonder skier visits are in the shitter. These guys have done nothing but chase the Boston market to Boyne. The one thing I know for sure is that I'll still be around long after these guys are punted out of here for poor performance. You can't argue the facts. Traffic counts are way off on the Access Road. Sales, Meals, and Lodging are way off in the town of Killington since these guys showed up. This is all on the public record in on the State of Vermont Dept of Transportation and Dept of Taxes web pages. With the decline in business levels, real estate values have collapsed. That "partner" SP Land with all the Texas oil money ain't gonna be happy.


I'm done with my rant now.

 

[andyzee]

This seems to be the case. It's like people read one of the half-dozen threads about snowmaking/first to open, read the rumor that K and SR were battling for first opening, and created the story that this was K's intent. I'm not trying to argue with Geoff or anyone else, but the only thing I've read on AZ about K's plans are that they are making snow and plan to open as soon as possible.

Tom said the Beast is Back. The Beast would not have allowed someone else to open first.