How did the EC mountains hold up after this last rain?

For those of us who live on the EC yesterday's storm was awfully bad. IMHO because it was early season and since there hadn't been much snow up to that date that we've overlooked this massive rain event. However, I also think this is going to push back whatever base we had pretty badly. Even though it's going to be cold for the next week or so there are no big storms hitting in the near future to help build up a base. I'm wondering if any mountains got snow on the backside of yesterdays storm?

Yea, very bad storm for snow lovers on the East Coast. In western Mass., we had heavy rain and warm temperatures yesterday (was almost 50 degrees late yesterday with probably 2 to 4 inches of rain). Whatever natural snow was on the ground - maybe two inches - is long gone. I skied on Saturday at my local hill and conditions were quite good. They had almost half the mountain open with full side to side snow coverage on the open trails. I'm guessing they lost much of that snow although this week is expected to be cold enough to make snow most nights and maybe some days. It is already below 32 degrees but no real accumulating snow on the backside of the storm (and I think that applies to the Catskills and southern VT too). I don't necessarily believe in global warming, but it does seem like we get more rain storms in the winter than we used to. UGH !!

We got a mixed bag of snow, ice pellets, freezing rain, snow again and rain.

The skiing was interesting yesterday. We lost a bit of snow in the Gatineau hills, but not the end of the World in term of the impact of this event. I presume it's the same in Western Quebec. Eastern Townships and Quebec are probably in better shape due to massive amount of snow they got last week.

berkshireskier":3vdbmloa said:

I don't necessarily believe in global warming, but it does seem like we get more rain storms in the winter than we used to. UGH !!

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UGH!!! #-o

This was a weird storm in that to the south and west of us there was snow. If the storm had been 100 miles to the east I think there very well would have been a huge snow storm. I guess the only advantage is that the base that was lost won't necessarily turn into ice as what base is left is grass. :roll:

rfarren":1w4rlzvr said:

This was a weird storm in that to the south and west of us there was snow. If the storm had been 100 miles to the east I think there very well would have been a huge snow storm. I guess the only advantage is that the base that was lost won't necessarily turn into ice as what base is left is grass. :roll:

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So true. I made that exact statement to someone I was riding up on the chairlift with on Saturday. The ski areas will essentially be starting from scratch (or bare grass) on most of the mountain. Unlike some years, the base will not necessarily be a solid block of ice to begin the season.

Skied at Hunter all day today and it was fine..nothing melted to the base. It snowed all day and is predicted to do the same all week..temps are dropping..the guns are out. The snow was like ..cold creamcheese..not bad..no ice. It did start to firm up around 1:00 when temps dropped below freezing..so I split at 1:30..but had a good day. Lots of moguls to practice on...good steep ones on Racers edge...

rfarren":20jk9eon said:

Even though it's going to be cold for the next week or so there are no big storms hitting in the near future to help build up a base. I'm wondering if any mountains got snow on the backside of yesterdays storm?

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Its snowing now

huh

.LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 152 PM EST MONDAY...NO HUGE CHANGES IN THE OVERALL EXPECTED
SYNOPTIC PATTERN FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST. LOOKS LIKE A SEMI-
PERSISTENT UPPER TROUGH WILL BE LOCKED INTO PLACE OVER EASTERN
CANADA AND INTO THE NORTHEASTERN US. WITHIN THE TROUGH PATTERN, IT
LOOKS LIKE SEVERAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE IN, DEVELOP
INTO STRONGER CYCLONIC CIRCULATIONS AND THEN GET KICKED OUT A
COUPLE OF DAYS LATER AS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE COMES IN. IN THE END,
IT WILL MEAN FOR US AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF CLOUDY, SEASONABLY COLD,
AND UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN DAY AFTER DAY. HUNG CLOSE TO GRIDDED
MOS GUIDANCE FOR POPS - WHICH WAS SIMILAR TO CLIMATOLOGY. SO
LOOKING AT 30-40% POPS EACH DAY ACROSS NORTHERN AREAS, THOUGH
HIGHER IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND CLOSER TO 20% IN THE SOUTHERN
VALLEYS. LOW/MID LEVEL NORTHWEST FLOW AND PLENTY OF MOISTURE WILL
ENSURE UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUE DAY AFTER DAY. I`LL BE THE
FIRST TO ADMIT THAT PERHAPS 100% POPS SHOULD BE PAINTED IN THE
HIGHEST TERRAIN EACH DAY, BUT COULDN`T QUITE DO IT THIS FAR OUT.
EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS SCENARIO THERE WILL LIKELY BE A TIME OR TWO
OF A MORE WIDESPREAD LIGHT SNOW EVENT AS THOSE CYCLONIC
CIRCULATIONS SPIN UP AND AFFECT THE AREA. MAY ALSO SEE SOME LAKE
EFFECT OFF OF LAKE ONTARIO STREAM INTO NORTHERN NY AT TIMES.
HOWEVER, THE TIMING OF THOSE PARTICULAR SITUATIONS IS WAY TOO
DIFFICULT AT THIS POINT, SO HAVE LEFT IT OUT. REGARDLESS, WITH
THIS KIND OF PATTERN, I EXPECT SUBSTANTIAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO
OCCUR ACROSS THE FAVORED WEST/NORTHWEST FACING SLOPES FOR THE
PERIOD. YES, WE AGAIN MAY MEASURE IN FEET IN SOME HIGHER ELEVATION
LOCATIONS LIKE MT MANSFIELD AND JAY PEAK. SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE
BIG PATTERN THIS COMING SUNDAY/MONDAY. ECMWF AND GFS HAVE BEEN
FLIP FLOPPING ON WHETHER OR NOT A COASTAL STORM WILL BE
DEVELOPING. LATEST TRENDS HAVE BEEN TO KEEP ANYTHING SOUTH AND
EAST OF THE BENCHMARK (40N/70W), WHICH IS TOO FAR AWAY FOR US TO
EVEN NOTICE. HOWEVER, THINGS COULD ALWAYS CHANGE.

LOOKING EVEN FARTHER AHEAD INTO FANTASY LAND, IT DOESN`T APPEAR
THE PATTERN WILL CHANGE APPRECIABLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. THUS I`D PUT
MY MONEY ON A SOLID SNOWPACK FOR US ALL COME DECEMBER 25TH.

kingslug":2zqx9sr0 said:

Skied at Hunter all day today and it was fine..nothing melted to the base. It snowed all day and is predicted to do the same all week..temps are dropping..the guns are out. The snow was like ..cold creamcheese..not bad..no ice. It did start to firm up around 1:00 when temps dropped below freezing..so I split at 1:30..but had a good day. Lots of moguls to practice on...good steep ones on Racers edge...

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The only problem is that it will be ice when I hit this weekend and the subsequent weeks. I'm planning on hitting it this saturday and then monday.

skimore":2f0db34d said:

rfarren":2f0db34d said:

Even though it's going to be cold for the next week or so there are no big storms hitting in the near future to help build up a base. I'm wondering if any mountains got snow on the backside of yesterdays storm?

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Its snowing now

huh

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I'm not sure if that affects my local mountains, hunta the bell and platt will get snow though...

6-12 in Roxbury thru tomorrow doesn't seem so bad

Overnight: Snow showers. Low around 12. Wind chill values as low as -5. West wind between 14 and 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Tuesday: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 18. Wind chill values as low as -4. West wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Tuesday Night: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 7. Wind chill values as low as -9. West wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Wednesday: Snow showers. High near 20. Wind chill values as low as -11. Breezy, with a west wind between 15 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Wednesday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 10. West wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 25. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

skimore":157q4ded said:

6-12 in Roxbury thru tomorrow doesn't seem so bad

Overnight: Snow showers. Low around 12. Wind chill values as low as -5. West wind between 14 and 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Tuesday: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 18. Wind chill values as low as -4. West wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Tuesday Night: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 7. Wind chill values as low as -9. West wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Wednesday: Snow showers. High near 20. Wind chill values as low as -11. Breezy, with a west wind between 15 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Wednesday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 10. West wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 25. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

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Seems like platte is the place to hit. I had planned on going to Hunter, but I don't think Hunter's forecast is as favorable.

How are you whinning about the weather and deciding where to go with out checking?

I had an awesome day at Plattekill on Saturday. After only two days there, it's becoming one of my favorite mountains.

Jamesdeluxe and I went the the SANY media night last Weds and we met Laszlo and Danielle Vajtay, the owners of Plattekill. (James already knew him.) Two real, very cool people. Laszlo is just so jazzed about his (underdog) role, it's infectious.

It was a great day...



I met a guy who showed me (under) the ropes ...



Afterward Laszlo and I got to yakking and we came up with this idea to put a few lucky souls onto the hill for the cost of a good TR:

The Plattekill Challenge.

If you are planning on skiing at Platty this year, check it out.

EDIT: At sundown tonight Plattekill looked to be in pretty good shape on the webcam. Should look better tomorrow morning, and probably even better than that by the time they open on Friday.

skimore":d6ls58ms said:

How are you whinning about the weather and deciding where to go with out checking?

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I did check out hunter's and bell's forecast. It was not exactly like Plattekill's. I assumed since Platte was so close to Bell and Hunter that the snow report would be about the same.

Harvey44":1j2558nj said:

Afterward Laszlo and I got to yakking and we came up with this idea to put a few lucky souls onto the hill for the cost of a good TR:

The Plattekill Challenge.

If you are planning on skiing at Platty this year, check it out.

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Sounds like a deal. I've never been to Plattekill before, but it looks great based on your report.

I would bet money that there will be zero ice this weekend at Hunter..Their snow making is the best , everything will be resurfaced and skiing great..

rob, do you really expect your first day out , to be a powder day ? it's the second week of dec on the east coast. one should be grateful for what we have..
on that note , i should be at bell this saturday..

rfarren":33tpbdmi said:

skimore":33tpbdmi said:

How are you whinning about the weather and deciding where to go with out checking?

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I did check out hunter's and bell's forecast. It was not exactly like Plattekill's. I assumed since Platte was so close to Bell and Hunter that the snow report would be about the same.

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Maybe you should consider expanding what you're calling EC if you want decent snow

jasoncapecod":28dkhqrx said:

I would bet money that there will be zero ice this weekend at Hunter..Their snow making is the best , everything will be resurfaced and skiing great..

rob, do you really expect your first day out , to be a powder day ? it's the second week of dec on the east coast. one should be grateful for what we have..
on that note , i should be at bell this saturday..

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Hold on now, I'm not expecting a powder day, but I was just concerned about what the rain would do to some of the pack. It seems everybody is pretty confident. That's why I posted this subject, to get people's take on this. Basically what I'm hearing is good news.

skimore":28dkhqrx said:

rfarren"} I did check out hunter's and bell's forecast. It was not exactly like Plattekill's. I assumed since Platte was so close to Bell and Hunter that the snow report would be about the same.[/quote:28dkhqrx said:

Maybe you should consider expanding what you're calling EC if you want decent snow

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I didn't realize the northern mountains would get slammed this week. These are all good things, minus the rain event Sunday. I don't think I should make it north of the Catskills till after X-Mas, by then anything could happen, so I'm not too worried about it.

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rfarren":1oake5sb said:

I'm wondering if any mountains got snow on the backside of yesterdays storm?

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From what I've been reading on AmericanWx.com com, it sounds like the East Coast had it pretty bad with rain and warm temperatures (Maine seemed to get a lot of that in this one), but it wasn't quite the same for the interior like upstate NY and Northern VT, where there was more snow and less liquid. At the house the snowpack change wasn't that big, going from 6.5 inches Sunday morning to 4.5 inches on Monday morning. But, we've actually had over a half foot of snow from this event so far, due to the snow on the front and back ends, and it's been dumping since yesterday with back side upslope snows, so the snowpack is already back to roughly where it was (6.0 inches at the house as of this morning's 6:00 A.M. report). According to the NWS we're in for a week similar to last week, with snow totals again potentially measured in feet. It's not super dense snow that puts down a ton of liquid, but it definitely enough to get in some powder turns for those that are looking for that. Unlike last week where things were starting from essentially zero at the beginning of the season, all this week's snow will be falling on the base snow that was built up last week. We may not get four feet of snow like last week, but with the substantial natural base already in place, it could be as good or better than last weekend in terms of powder and terrain availability.

I would recommend checking out the NNE thread in the New England regional section at AmericanWx.com for anyone wondering about weather/snowfall in ME/NH/VT. Powderfreak seems to post most of his daily updates there, and we often get real time reports right from the mountain during the day when he goes out for a couple of runs and checks on the snow. I post ski-related material and some of my detailed reports in the Vermont Snow Updates here at First Tracks, but i post all of my detailed weather updates and observations at AmWx in the NNE thread for those that want to follow storms/snowfall in this area more closely. Also, the AmericanWx.com site is definitely THE place to go for model discussions; the New England subforum has some of the most amazing meteorologists out there in terms of knowing what's going on with new England/Northeast weather.

AmericanWX.com is great. Thanks for the suggestion!