powderfreak

Latest is 47kts at ALB... 54mph. A solid hour now of 40-55mph gusts. Pretty solid.

My parents lost power in the ALB area at 8:30pm. ALB airport has had several 45-50mph gusts... 1/4sm +SN too. KALB 020129Z 29024G37KT 1/4SM R01/2200V5500FT +SN FZFG BKN008 BKN023 BKN036 M04/M06 A2981 RMK AO2 PK WND 27040/0117 PRESRR P0000 T10441061

That’s what our parking lot and road looks like. Just packed ice. It’s slickest when you get a little rainwater on top of that. Almost impossible to walk on... gotta hold onto your car while you slide around to the door lol.

Sugarbush to and just south might get that meso-scale convergence band train over them that some models showed. Like we’ve been talking about, it probably ends up raking Killington for a while given the winter they’ve had of over-performers.

2" in about an hour at 1,500ft with the squall line now that it's all over.

A very fast inch and still snowing at 1,500ft. Snowing and graupel coming down in clumps at times it seemed. Almost thought we might hear some thunder given how dark and intense that came in.

Just hit here. Can't see across Over Easy. Visibility has to be 1/4 mile or so. It's almost entirely graupel though. Just pounding dippin' dots.

Skiing has been much better than expected today... they regroomed a bunch this morning and you could tell there was a freezing rain event from 2,500ft and above from ice on the trees. But it softened up nicely today and the lowest 1,000ft have a spring-like surface. That will lock up tight though here shortly. We are all snow down through 1,500ft at this point after some earlier rain showers (just flurries now). But anything falling from here on out should remain snow with CAA. Can see the FROPA approaching the northern Champlain Valley on radar... should produce some decent squalls as it hits the Spine if past history is any indication.

We've had some sleet falling here this morning. Looks like some rain or freezing rain overnight as the slopes are glazed.

It looks like there could be some orographic snows but nothing stands out at this point. Conditions today were very firm below 2,500ft where a thaw/freeze cycle occurred. Up at 3000ft and above is best. The trick this week will be if any rain occurs and how far up in elevation it happens tomorrow morning. Even a passing heavy shower to the summits can wreck it. Arctic squalls tomorrow afternoon could bring light accums and then there’s some weak stuff that may fire up some orographic snow on Wednesday afternoon?

Yeah that’s what I’ve heard! Awesome. Seems like it’s been a great winter in the Killington area.

Yeah my buddy’s parents live at 2,100ft at Pico and he says they seem to think it’s been one of the best snow years in a long time. Every event has seemed to over-perform in that area. I do think that plays a lot into the overall vibe of winter even regardless of totals. If every event ends up snowier than expected (whether it’s a 6-12” forecast that ends up 24-30” in Dec or a 1-2” forecast that ends up 5”), it has to leave a better taste in the end.

Do you guys grade based on climo or experience? Like is it an enjoyment grade or a flat compared to climo grade?

Yeah it would’ve been a top tier winter for CVT/SVT. Killington has had a very solid snow season, I bet they are near tops relative to normal of NE ski resorts. They were pacing with Jay for most of the winter.

Yeah one gets that impression reading your posts... sort of like knowing the possibilities and data is dampening the experience of your first winter. Like if you had no idea on the climate, and just happened to move from the Baltimore suburbs or where ever, up to a hillside in the north.... then got hit with multiple 12+ high QPF snow events, measurable snowfall on like 3 out of every 4-5 days, upslope events and a sustained 24”+ pack for like two months... it’s hard to imagine having this feeling of being unsatisfied. I think I felt a lot more like you when I first moved up here. I’d be focused on the Mansfield depth running below normal and have this disappointed feeling...losing my mind when SNE gets hit a few times in a row while high/dry up here. Maybe it’s a coping mechanism (lol) but I feel like now I judge winter based on the experiences, and compare it to other places I’ve lived. Like I think my highest single dump at one time was 10” back on Nov 2nd this season at home but I have enjoyed this winter because of how many snowy evenings we’ve had, it hasn’t been brutally cold, it didn’t rain for 6 weeks, and have had an 18” pack sustained through the heart of winter.

lol three of them is awesome. I honestly thought this whole winter you’d be posting every day about how insane winter is up north, even if only 50% snowfall. It’s interesting seeing your perspective this year, seems a little down/meh on it. Like you’re left feeling unsatisfied.

You’ve gotten what 2-3 storms over 12”?

Yeah it would turn an average winter into a great winter for sure. It would be a very memorable winter if we threw in one more during that peak stretch. Thats usually what separates the great memorable winters from the good ones.

Yeah it’s weird, the mountain has been skiing like a much larger snow depth. It really hasn’t felt like a sub-par winter to me... the lower elevations are definitely seemingly closer to normal (if not near normal). BTV airport is right around normal, JSpin has to be near normal and I feel like it’s been pretty close to normal here. Central/Southern VT solidly above normal snow. VT has seemed pretty good this year looking at the stats. The 3,000ft and above level has been solidly below normal snow but with good snow down lower the skiing has been excellent. Many have remarked about how the backcountry has been in play for so long, even low elevation stuff. Most locals seem to think this has been a good winter for skiing after December. You never get 6 weeks without a rain event and just pow on pow.

Looks like there could be some decent squalls tomorrow with the FROPA. A good deal of them have a nice max right near J.Spin's house, but none are better than the Canadian version of the HRRR.... EURO... 3KM NAM has it more down near the Killington region.

Stowe used to have it off the Gondola when I first moved up here. We'd ride the Gondola up and then ski adjacent trails by headlamp. Over time though, it just wasn't worth it, low skier traffic. It just gets too cold and windy at night on Mansfield for people to want to partake in a meaningful way, apparently. The light poles are still there (telephone poles) and we used to test them before night events at the Cliff House. So they could be turned on in the event of an evac. Can never be too prepared when people are dressed in high-end suits and dresses, riding the Gondola at night up Vermont's highest peak to a party at the top.

We are at the warmest temps of the day now with strong roaring WNW winds. 40F currently at MVL with gusts near 40mph now that the wind direction has changed. Almost to the point where I'm hoping we don't lose power. These are some very strong winds moving down the east slope. Wouldn't be surprised if there were some localized 50mph or more gusts just a little uphill of here on the east side of the spine. Luckily it's winter, if there were leaves on the trees this would be a big problem, ha.

I just asked the question in the NNE thread... something seems off. A high of 58F at 1,200ft? The dew points look reasonable but those temps... light snow under 2 mile vis at temps around 40F all morning?

What have you seen for temps? The MPV/Montpelier ASOS has to be wrong today, no? It's showing a temperature of 56F at 7pm and had a high of 58F (at 1,200ft)? KMPV 272351Z AUTO 30011G20KT 10SM SCT031 OVC039 13/01 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP155 60002 T01330006 10144 20044 53018 All day this was way higher than BTV's readings and this morning those haze obs should be snow obs... sustained under 2 mile vis snow and temps around 40F seems off for that elevation.

Even this morning, a great example of why BTV torches... they were above freezing and just ripping south winds of 40-50mph gusts (not ideal for snow preservation), while around here at the Morrisville-Stowe Airport the ASOS was 15F. 7am Observations BTV... 34F, melting, with sustained winds of 22mph, gusting 44mph out of the south (the Champlain Valley funnel). MVL... 15F with calm winds and a cold snowpack.