Warren, VT – Vermont’s Sugarbush Resort is the latest northeastern casualty of an abnormally warm fall season.
A lack of adequate snowmaking weather has forced the ski area, originally scheduled to open tomorrow, Nov. 20, to push its plans back to Thanksgiving Day.
“We will likely be downloading on Super Bravo, but if we get a few days of colder temperatures we will be in a position to make snow to the bottom,” Sugarbush president Win Smith said. “While we’ve had some windows to make snow, the warmer weather we’ve seen in between, as well as the temperature inversions, have prevented us from providing the conditions we would have liked. ”
Sugarbush has replaced its aging Valley House double with a new Doppelmayr quad for winter 2015-16. The new lift passed its load test and is awaiting final state inspection. They’ve also purchased a new Pisten Bully groomer for their fleet, made electrical upgrades to six lifts, added another 75 low-energy snow guns, and replaced over one mile of snowmaking pipe. The Green Mountain Express at Mt. Ellen will now open at 8 a.m. each morning for early birds, once Mt. Ellen opens for the season on Dec. 18.