Sports

Snow Business: So Far, There's Snow in Those Hills

So far, things are pretty good.

By Chris Dehnel

Yeah, that rain right before Thanksgiving was just awful. Puts skiers and snowboarders in a mood on the week everyone usually gets all geared up for the season. 

But take a look at the websites. 

Look at the pictures. 

Some trails look like it's January. 

It all definitely changes the tone. Most resorts are either ready to go with decent conditions or getting ready for the next holiday period. It's been that cold in the higher elevations to the north and northwest. 

Here is what some of the resort representatives had to say: 

  • Bonnie MacPherson, Okemo Mountain Resort: "Thanks to Operation Snowburst, a $1 million investment in snowmaking upgrades, Okemo Mountain Resort is open with top-to-bottom skiing and riding on 30-plus trails this weekend."
  • Matt Sawyer, Butternut: "Snowmaking is underway in anticipation of a Dec. 6 opening date with special $25 first-timer learn to ski or snowboard packages."
  • Lori Shield, Ski Sundown: "Ski Sundown is making snow every opportunity we get, unleashing the snowmaking power of 180 fan guns and tower guns, and we anticipate opening on Friday, Dec. 6with a quality product."
  • David Meeker, Mount Snow: "Mount Snow is planning to almost double its open terrain by Thanksgiving weekend and guests can enjoy a full list of events."
  • Myra Foster, Stratton Mountain: "The season is off to a great start at Stratton, where we opened early thanks to snowmaking and look forward to a good, snowy winter … so far the Farmer’s Almanac has been right!"
  • Rich Edwards, Catamount: "Catamount’s focus over the next three weeks is on providing more open terrain for the Christmas/New Year holiday period."

I'm with Myra. Go with the almanac. Then enjoy a stellar season. 

Chris Dehnel is a local editor for Patch covering Vernon and Tolland in Connecticut. He has been writing about snow sports for more than a decade and is a past president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here