If you go just a wee bit further than standard daytrip distance, you can find some pretty nice skiing, including Pineridge. FYI, rooms available at Canterbury Lodge and Stump Sprouts.
Much of the region just north of Albany and the MA-VT/NH border, including southern Adirondacks and Green Mountains, received substantial amounts of snow during the past week. About 1-1/2′ of new snow fell in the last seven days, making for excellent conditions at Lapland Lake, Garnet Hill, Grafton trails, and Wild Wings.
Backcountry is a bit dicier. BETA report from Thursday: “Thanks to last Friday’s 12-18″ of snow, we definitely have good cover everywhere. Unfortunately, three days of above freezing temperatures have put a crust on the unbroken areas, and a glaze on those sections that have been broken out.”
Hit the link or nav menu item ‘State of the touring centers‘ or find it in the nav menu. Today I’m switching up the snow depth views to feature the daytrip distance and what I call the ‘500-mile’ view. First the daytrip distance:
Snow depth and ski areas within daytrip or early start daytrip distance, Feb. 14
It looks like Minnewaska, Mohonk, and Winding Trails could be skiable, but there’s no report yet of anyone actually doing so. Next, the 500-mile view:
500-mile view of northeast US snow depth, Feb. 14
If you were in the mood for a road trip during the school break, looks like the Laurentians and Gatineau park in Canada would be really nice too.
Forecast
Warmer days (mid-20s to upper 30s in the north; upper 30s to upper 40s in the south ) will alternate with colder ones (single-digits to teens in the north and mountain regions; 20s to 30s in the tristate and southern New England area) from Sunday thru Thursday .
From Monday late night till end of Wednesday, the northeast will have some light to moderate rain in the southern half, and alternating snow-rain-snow in the northern half. Some lucky ducks of the north will get a slight refresh of snow cover while others get a glaze.
Mohonk trails are open for skiing, with 4″ of wet snow; no grooming. Someone took a short ski at Minnewaska and reported in the MHVXCS group: “About 4 inches of wet snow and 37 degrees. The old fish scale skis were still gliding ok with the the liquid glide wax I put on. A few lumps here and there and a few scrapings to the gravel.”
Red can wax for folks in the north, and rock skis for the downstaters.
Summary
Good to very good skiing conditions almost anywhere north of Albany and the MA-VT/NH border. Far northern mountain regions are getting snow today. Variously mixed precipitation during the week including snow showers. Daytime temps in the north will flirt above and below freezing depending on locale, making waxing problematic but skating should be pretty good by midweek.
It’s turning into a pretty good season for anyone living north of a line extending from Albany NY to Lake Winnipesaukee NH. Hit the link or nav menu item ‘State of the touring centers‘ or find it in the nav menu.
It’s hard to resist crying all over the wax box when you read things like: ‘skiers need to expect snow in the tracks’.
The snow keeps coming. Accumulations in the 6+” range are making it not suitable for skate skiing beyond the Wentworth Resort Loop; and classic skiers need to expect snow in the tracks
Monday through Thursday will see high temperatures above freezing with some light precipitation of various kinds. No significant accumulation or melting expected. Friday will be very cold with highs only in the low single digits, but Saturday warms to near 20 and then again above freezing on Sunday. So the upcoming weekend and the beginning of President’s week will see by far the best skiing of the season.
BETA trails report Feb. 10
Forecast
Moderate and warmish daytime temps throughout the workweek, with even the far north and mountain areas close to or above freezing. Downstate and mid-Hudson will see highs from 40 to the low 50s. Nighttime temps below freezing from the Catskills north.
Clouds and light precipitation will stay as long as the warm temperatures do, dropping some snow, but mostly rain until Thursday when a cold front briefly moves in. Exactly how much snow will result from this mixing of warm moist air and a passing stream of cold air is uncertain, but the heaviest accumulation will likely be in northern New England.
The cold on Friday will move us into the freezer as max temps in the north will be below zero F in spots. Downstate will be in the upper 20s. In places where it doesn’t snow, skies will be clear for the day.
On the weekend, clouds and warmer temperatures return. Saturday temps will be much warmer than Friday, in the teens to 20s in the north and mountain areas, and 20s to 30s in downstate NY and southern New England. Sunday will be warmer still, 30-40 in the far north, mid-30s to mid-40s downstate NY, MA and CT. There could be some snow/rain showers.
Update 2/9: SNSA has cancelled the XC ski clinic at Mohonk for lack of adequate snowfall. Not a surprise. ‘State of the Touring Centers’ is slightly updated with reports from Lapland Lake and Waterville Valley. Timber Creek and Northfield Mountain still no report since the storm.
Summary: Good news for people taking a cross-country ski vacation during the school break that starts in a week- conditions in the far north are looking to be set up pretty well for you. As for this weekend or early next week, think about doing an early day trip Sunday or taking a day off Monday. Best-and-closest bets: Pineridge, Notchview, Prospect Mountain.
Terrain in a 3-ish hour drive time received rain, freezing rain, and wet snow on Friday. The drop in temperature overnight solidified the fresh cover to ice, making it tough to groom or ski on. Some crust skiing might be possible later today or once the grooming machinery can get a bite into it. There’s also debris and blowdown from the winds last night.
Just enough new snow to work into the sleet and ice coating from yesterday. That puts us on a skiable powder granular mixture that should imporve as it gets skied in. Cleaning up downed branches from an ice storm as we go along.
Grooming report from Notchview, Saturday Feb. 8
In the 3-4 hr drive time, the picture looks pretty nice:
Early morning pics from Prospect Mountain (left) and Viking (right)
Updates for today are delayed from: Northfield Mountain, Lapland Lake, and Timber Creek, and Waterville Valley resort. I’ll update conditions once they put something up.
Areas a 4+ hr drive from NYC got more and better snow, sometimes so much it’ll take the day to pack and groom. Conditions tend to be soft today, with some blowdown. Osceola got 22″ of snow over the past three days, and the owner is letting snow settle before grooming, so I’ve listed conditions as ‘Skiable’. But it’s ideal if you want to do a bit of classical light touring in fresh snow.
“We’ll go to New Jersey and take the Turnpike north”, said George
For real envy, just look at trails and conditions in the White Mountains. As good as they’ve ever been in memory. Nor did the ‘dacks get left in the cold: BETA report from 2/7 for the Adirondack backcountry: ‘All Trails finally skiable’.
We have picked up over a foot of snow on Thursday and Friday. It’s fairly dense snow, so it will more than cover any of the rocks and other hazards we have been warning about so far this season. Saturday will be quite cold with highs only 10-15 degrees, but it warms into the 20s on Sunday. Then warm with light rain or snow on Monday and Tuesday before dropping back below freezing on Wednesday. So, the coming week and following weekend look to be great skiing most everywhere.
BETA trails report Feb. 7
On to the usual business: hit the link or nav menu for ‘State of the touring centers‘. The snow depth graphic is below:
Snow depth northeast US, Feb. 8
Forecast: Today (Feb. 8) high temps in the far north country and mountains will be in single digits to low teens, 20s to 40s from Albany and Berkshires down to NYC area. Lingering snow showers in isolated areas of the far north.
Sunday much warmer- teens to low 30s in north country and mountains; 30s to low 40s in the Berkshires and Hudson valley/NYC metro. Light snow showers could resume across much of NY and New England, intensifying overnight, before shifting to rain during the day Monday.
Monday through Wednesday, temps range from freezing in the far north to 50s in NYC metro, before cooling off by Thursday. Sunday’s precipitation will shift to rain on Monday before ending in the afternoon. Tuesday, there could be some additional light snow/rain/freezing rain throughout the region.
Another weather front arrives Wednesday afternoon, but the cooling temperatures will allow more precipitation to fall as snow rather than shifting to rain/freezing rain, and these light snow showers could persist through Thursday- Yay! The less good news is that the NYC metro area and mid-Hudson valley will likely be too warm to get much snow out of it.
