Hey, we have a long awaited trip planned for Stratton this upcoming weekend and the weather looks like 53F and 80% chance of rain on Friday and 50F and 90% of rain on Saturday. That seems so awful and I doubt we can even ski in that. Think it will actually be that bad? We have non-refundable hotel rooms booked. I could try to call and reschedule it but didn't want to jump the gun and have the weather end up better than expected. Any thoughts or experience with a forecast like this?
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Trip to Stratton VT planned for this weekend and the weather looks rainy / awful.
- Thread starter drdavidge
- Start date
bdfreetuna
New member
It probably will actually be that bad. But since you're non-refundable let's look at the bright side and try to have some fun.
On the bright side:
- It's gong to be warm. If you get wet you're not catching hypothermia. Wear a poncho or rain jacket and something light under it. You might not even be all that uncomfortable.
- Maybe it won't be a downpour and just an on off drizzle. Maybe it won't rain until later in the day and you'll have some dry hours on the slopes?
- Snow is going to be slushy granular snow by then. Shred the steep trails (downside: Stratton has no steep trails). Enjoy an early taste of spring skiing for what it is.
- You might even avoid normal Stratton weekend crowds!
You can certainly ski in that. Poncho up and ski a couple short days, you're already going to be up there and you might be surprised how fun the conditions are (at least not on the flats).
edit: Just looked at the forecast and Sunday maybe gets cold overnight after a week of warm. The mountain is going to freeze solid but they'll probably groom the whole place in the morning. So you get a chance of slushy spring on Saturday and super firm and fast on Sunday. The East Coast special!
On the bright side:
- It's gong to be warm. If you get wet you're not catching hypothermia. Wear a poncho or rain jacket and something light under it. You might not even be all that uncomfortable.
- Maybe it won't be a downpour and just an on off drizzle. Maybe it won't rain until later in the day and you'll have some dry hours on the slopes?
- Snow is going to be slushy granular snow by then. Shred the steep trails (downside: Stratton has no steep trails). Enjoy an early taste of spring skiing for what it is.
- You might even avoid normal Stratton weekend crowds!
You can certainly ski in that. Poncho up and ski a couple short days, you're already going to be up there and you might be surprised how fun the conditions are (at least not on the flats).
edit: Just looked at the forecast and Sunday maybe gets cold overnight after a week of warm. The mountain is going to freeze solid but they'll probably groom the whole place in the morning. So you get a chance of slushy spring on Saturday and super firm and fast on Sunday. The East Coast special!
Go and ski what you get. I lost out on a lot of good (comparatively speaking) days last season worrying about weather reports and talking myself out of skiing to find out that the days were not washouts. Gore-Tex is your friend, use it and have fun!
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VTKilarney
Well-known member
Lots of people here will tell you that skiing in the rain can be fun. I'm not one of those people. I'm sane.
Hopefully there will be breaks in the rain. I'd try to make the best of it and just accept what you can't control.
Hopefully there will be breaks in the rain. I'd try to make the best of it and just accept what you can't control.
abc
Well-known member
Upcoming weekend is still a whole 5 days away. The weather forecast can change in the mean time.
If your lodging is not refundable, not too much point in jumping the gun. But if you want to try to change it, by all means try. At worst, you end up in another weekend when it's frozen solid! (no, I'm not just joking, that's the risk you're taking). Or you may get lucky and get a powder (blue bird, soft snow) weekend.
I AM one of those crazy who ski in the rain and enjoy it. But that's because I got complete top to bottom waterproof gear. Even then, I get wet eventually. (it's just like others said, it's usually warm enough that it doesn't feel all that bad).
The skiing is often quite nice. But if you don't have proper waterproof gear, you may not enjoy it as much as I do.
If your lodging is not refundable, not too much point in jumping the gun. But if you want to try to change it, by all means try. At worst, you end up in another weekend when it's frozen solid! (no, I'm not just joking, that's the risk you're taking). Or you may get lucky and get a powder (blue bird, soft snow) weekend.
I AM one of those crazy who ski in the rain and enjoy it. But that's because I got complete top to bottom waterproof gear. Even then, I get wet eventually. (it's just like others said, it's usually warm enough that it doesn't feel all that bad).
The skiing is often quite nice. But if you don't have proper waterproof gear, you may not enjoy it as much as I do.
kingslug
Well-known member
You could do this: instead of skiing Stratton head up to Stowe. They have a 94 inch base compared to 34. Yes its a drive but your most of the way there already. Just because the hotel is in one place doesn't mean you can't ski elsewhere.
NYDB
Well-known member
I have been eyeing the So VT weather all week since I am supposed to meet my family up there for the tail end of the vacation week. Personally, I'll take some rain and soft conditions over boilerplate any day.
Friday looks like a misty-light rain day all day now, no heavy rain with a couple tenths spread out over the whole day. Doable. Get the goretex out, and go get a drink when finally soaked through.
Saturday looks like they pushed the heavy rain to the afternoon so while it might mist all day, the deluge comes 2-3 pm. Not awful. Not great, but not awful.
Sunday looks like dust on crust boilerplate that I'm not sticking around for. I drive home sat night and do some MTB at home Sunday.
That's what it looks now, but who knows? the rain could dissapate for fri and not come in to the eve on sat. Then you have 2 day of nice spring conditions. In the middle of february.
NYDB
Well-known member
the weather looks the same for stowe, so you are advocating him to drive 5 hour RT each day to ski in rain with a deeper base?
xwhaler
Active member
Headed up to a family place near Okemo this wknd. Hoping to get both days in but we shall see.
Sounds advice.. im talking about the drugs and alcohol
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bdfreetuna
New member
A little angel dust always helps one see the silver lining in any situation.
Yeah, need some more info here - is this a family trip? Age of kids? Adult trip? Skiing levels? Etc...
If it's a guys weekend away, and your up for a bender instead of a weekend of good skiing, probably say go for it. Breakfast stout kind of weekend maybe?
If it's a family trip, depending on the age of the kids, better start looking up side trips/attractions, and bring same board games, and what not....
Good luck - tough situation.
If it's a guys weekend away, and your up for a bender instead of a weekend of good skiing, probably say go for it. Breakfast stout kind of weekend maybe?
If it's a family trip, depending on the age of the kids, better start looking up side trips/attractions, and bring same board games, and what not....
Good luck - tough situation.
Smellytele
Well-known member
cialis or viagra and stay in with the wife/girlfriend or both
jimk
Well-known member
I've spent 50 years skiing in the mid-Atlantic. If I had backed out of every opportunity when there was a questionable forecast for a ski trip I'd have about 500 less ski days lifetime. 95% of the time I had a blast anyway, at least through the rosy glasses of geezerhood
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