Well s**t. It’s mighty thin cover in most of the Northeast-US, and not much expectation for a reprieve unless forecasters are wrong about a system due to form up for late in the weekend.

But it’s also World Cup weekend in Lake Placid, and there’s still some snowpack! The Tug Hill has good cover, and expects some lake effect snow. A couple of places in the Adirondacks still have some cover to work with, as does Prospect Mountain, and it looks like Jackson and Waterville Valley that are getting some terrain into shape.

You have to know that Mt van Hoevenberg has left nothing to chance. Listen to Kris Cheney Seymour describe their work and hopes for this set of events in an interview with North Country Public Radio.

This post is about conditions for Mar 19, and forecast for the next few days. See jump links to Conditions and Forecast.

What will the skiing be like?

With the return of subfreezing nights, the damp snowpack turns to ice by morning. This is not fun to groom or to ski. East of the Hudson, places that want to groom are having to make multiple passes. In the western portion of the Northeast-US repeated lake effect snow has helped cover the boilerplate ice. Spring conditions indeed, with some ice and bare spots.

It might be sparse staffing and skier traffic too, as some folks are heading for Lake Placid for the World Cup races. Besides Mt van Hoevenberg trails being partially closed off for recreational use, traffic will be pretty bad in the area.

Hit up ‘State of the touring centers‘ or in the menu above for reported conditions as of today. Snow depth graphic below:

Upcoming weather

Thursday a small system brings light snow or snow showers in the far north. Winds will be a bit breezy at times on Thursday and Friday, going up to 20mph in some parts. All told no real accumulation expected. Winds calm overall.

Light snow for the north for a short time on Friday, expected to change to mostly rain or rain showers and overspreading the Northeast-US late in the day. This systrm will depart on Saturday. Winds begin to shift westerly on Saturday, increasing but still mild, with gusts only to about 20mph except the Massachusetts shore where stonger gusts are expected.

Another system brings precipitation early Sunday. This system will likely be more consequential than the previous ones and will last into Monday. There could be more of a mix of snow than raiin and wintry mix in the middle-north. There will periodic shifts in precipitation type, as winds start shifitng from weesterly to north and northwesterly. Still some uncertainty in forecasts as to amounts of rain vs snow. Isolated gusts late in the weekend into Monday could be 20-25mph.

Cooler than normal temps continue fromMonday into Tuesday, Tueday should by dry. Potential for light snow showers in the far north on Wednesday. Winds from the north early next week, shifting westerly and to the WSW for Wednesday. A bit breezy at times in the midweek, but generally calm winds.