bwt3650

Ehh..you’re making it about someone intentionally going out there and measuring 9” and saying to the marketing team “ let’s go with 15 because no one would drive up here for just 9”. I don’t think that’s happening. It’s an incredibly windy mountain with a crazy micro climate and I think it’s just a matter of unscientific, inconsistent measuring along with using a range. And to be honest, most outside of a weather forum don’t give a shit. It snows anytime, for any reason or no reason at all there and it adds up over a long season. We are snow tools so we want to analyze it all, but in the end, once the base is over 3 feet, put 6 or put 18 on top and it all skis pretty damn good. Again, they one hundred percent get more than Mansfield. No question. It’s just an argument over how much. I could try and put a live feed camera in my backyard if anyone knows a good one that’s not crazy expensive or complicated and come up with some sort of plot, but I’m not there every day of the winter to get consistent measurements. Retirement in less than 5 and youngest graduates in 9 so that will be the winter I’ll try and get an accurate first to last flake winter and see where it’s at. .

As you pointed out as the season closed out, north of sugarbush almost always changed back to snow this season and saved an absolute disaster during so many storms. Most of vt. was an inch of slop followed by freezing rain and then a change back to a dusting, where jay changed back to 4-6. Very odd this year, or lucky. Early Dec started strong and went to absolute dog shit by the holidays…but that mid feb to late March run was very strong this year. There’s no question this year outperformed last year. March 21, 2022 @ 2250’ March 26,2023 @ 1850’ .

Jay gets the most snow in the east…period, no question. I’ve skied manfiejd and Jay in the same day and there is a difference. And south of there, they aren’t even in the same upslope ballpark. Jay will pull 6-8 on an overnight event 3 times a week, while even sugarbush is 2-3. It’s the frequency of the plus 1-2 that adds up over a 5 month long season. Plus add in a 3 degree temp diff at times with latitude. The only time anyone south of Mansfield cleans up on jay is synoptic or those lake streamers. Wind=snow in Vermont and you can’t possibly tell me the wind patterns are the same at Mansfield and Jay. The angle of the mountain is different and just wind holds alone would show the difference. Hell even stateside vs. the ridge sees a difference in snow totals. Burke is a similar distance from jay as Stowe and no one would argue they get half the snow at similar elevations. Now, you want tell me their reported 350 is really 310; no argument. I think pf hit the nail on the head with the problem using a range and always adding the high number. I’ve always said they should get a plot and cam. They will always finish number one in the east, so show it off, even if it’s not as high a number as expected. .

Stowe/smuggs interconnect gondola making news. Two mountains couldn’t be more different. I’m sure locals have know for a while and are not happy, but what a day it would be hitting both those in the same day. .

Not in Vermont. That’s a frigid looking week 2 and end to April, start to May. There’s going to wind up being some elevation snow in there too. .

An idea of what the base looks like on lower mountain snow making trails. Last foot is solid ice from December. Woods still very much in play today and though the naturals are showing signs of cracking, there is still a lot of snow on this mountain. The real melt starts Thursday, so need to get through this week to see how deep into May we go and what trails besides jet will last. .

We probably got up to around 36-40 during that week when the backside came through the prior storm, but as expected, that was the high point. It’s taken a big hit even with the cold temps. The April sun is just too much. And with the torch this week, 1900’ is going to get demolished. Still, should be some of the best spring skiing of the season the next three days, especially with the freezes overnight tonight and tomorrow. I still think May is doable here, but this week is the end of the naturals. .

Jay will go to May, if not a few weekends deep on Jet and Haynes. While I agree that it was as bad a start as you can get, Feb and March were good up here. Plenty of pow days and as deep a base as there has been in the last several years currently. Not epic, not memorable, but pretty decent. The base will take a major hit later this week, but the skiing sun-weds looks phenomenal. We had fewer thaw/freezes than the last 3 winters. The population center ski season is Christmas through Presidents’ Day and those once or twice a year skiers has a crap year…but overall, I would rate it better than you did up here. .

348 is the number they are reporting here and that’s pretty much dead on average. Probably scrape together another 15-20 to get to the 360-370 average. Started extremely poorly, but it’s been a hell of a ride the last 6 weeks. .

Absolutely perfect spring day..bright sun, 50 degrees, full coverage and soft snow. Should be 30 and snowing by midnight and low 20s tmrw, but this was fun. .

Still holding onto snow, but barely. About 3”. The pack for what will be April 1 is unbelievable. With the torch tmrw and nothing spectacular in the future, I’m guessing tonight will be the high point til next season. .

Not enough back end to fix the freeze Sunday after the torch and all that water. Hopefully, it softens in the sun Monday. .

Really good out there today…One of the bigger turnarounds this season. I ducked into the woods a couple times yesterday and was quickly reminded why it was a dumb idea. Today, it was back to deep packed powder. .

Current pack. .

The pack is strong! Going to be quite the melt out when this goes. .