powderfreak

I cannot believe the weather worked out for that. Like what are the chances. It could be raining or snowing with a ceiling of 2,000ft very easily.

Dude, that was insane. Just a cell phone shot. We’ll see what the camera got but I understand why folks say get to totality. 3 solid minutes of nighttime at 3:30pm. Stars out. I see what the hype was about.

Once in a lifetime experience. Hoo-lee-sheet. That was incredible.

Can start to see it now through the glasses.

We’ve got some very light high thin cirrus but I can’t imagine that mattering. Sky is still pretty blue through them.

This photo shows the vibe one gets being up there. Awesome. Nearly 3k verts. The Green Mtn Spine wall maxing out over Mansfield leads to some great snowfall, deep snowpack and big mountain terrain.

The eclipse tourists were rolling in fast today, and the vibe is fun. So many people out and about in town. Many outside, walking the Rec Path and sidewalks. Skiers, first time skiers in town for the eclipse, having fun. But cars everywhere. I’ll be honest, sometimes it’s a bit much and annoying while you are just trying to get through daily life. This has a different vibe. Like people know it’s not something that randomly happens. It’s an event that many won’t see again in their lives and they know it. The mood is cheerful, weather was 50s and sunshine, with melting snow on the ground next to greening grass. Optimism for a spring day mixed with a once-in-a-lifetime vibe. It’s going to be the largest party NNE has ever seen.

It’s 52F and sunny and snow in town is crying for mama. Just getting eviscerated. Still a few inches but feels like we’ve lost a foot in two days lol.

I saw that on Mansfield too.

It’s starting… exit 10 for Waterbury, VT accessing Stowe and Mad River Valley.

lol I’m a psychopath. I just can’t label it 24-36”. BTV to the summits was 12-24” for the meat of the event. The backside couple inches of wet elevation-dependent snow does add to the totals where we ski though. It feels different though than the mid-winter days when adding a couple inches here or there props up the snowpack further. The long-duration total up in the mid-slope and beyond is significant though… despite the snowpack settling faster than it falls.

April cake. This afternoon saw a glimpse of sun between thick clouds and steady periods of -SN. Only 2” in past 24 hours (1” every 12hrs) on the plot board, but been a fun 3 days with 26” if you add it up.. but to me the true storm total was 23” from the steady storm snow. This winter has actually hit normal snowfall in the mountain elevations. Now a total solar eclipse coming. What a time to be alive, ha.

You traveling for this?

You guys crack me up .

Yeah not really worried about high clouds at all to be honest. Filtered sunshine works.

See I think climo is southern/central/eastern areas in coastal storms, ha. I wish I could be that confident each storm.

Yeah I was going to say, we sleeted for hours too. Would’ve hit 30” without it. Even had ZR at the mountain for a bit early on. I think it even got as far as the Canadian border.

Terrible QPF forecast. Euro wasn’t even close here. GFS won, IMO. Reggie and Canadian were way too far south (not getting big snows up here)… NAM wasn’t great. GFS had it the whole way.

Anyone who talks to Phin, knows what he’s got out of this? Cut-off E/NE flow with some moisture seems to be his bread and butter.

This photo is classic Stowe. Three-car garage and snow. Not what you think of for April.

It’s not public, but that’s been on my mind. A good project.

Yeah Jay’s late closing always opens up the possibility… it’s bound to snow again, but this one has been fun. Overall, this is only 750ft but it just keeps snowing wet paste here. Over 15” here in the valley is a big storm.

There is no official snow measurement for Mansfield. It is done by agents of the ski area. Only the settled “Stake” depth is an independent NWS reading via camera. If anyone says Stake up here, everyone knows it’s that depth one off the Toll Road. I’m all for the science of the mountain… some call it transparency but I know I am in a position to create comparable data, not just estimates. It is what it is, and I like that approach. We try to provide reliable snowfall totals to the masses, and even report rainfall.

One last deep day of the season?

It’s been sneaking up. Measured 278” now at the consistent 3,000ft level. That’s really about average. Before we started measuring and verifying snowfall in the same location, the ski area averaged 330”. After I started bringing some real accountability and being diligent (no optimistic estimates based on a deep pocket), our average is more around 280”. This year is now at that level. And considering the amount of major melts, the snowpack on the hill has been decent. I’ll have to run the numbers, but I think we are around 100” of snowfall in the past month up there.