I’m reporting live from New Hampshire, where it’s been raining frequently throughout the past week. Yesterday, last Saturday, and last Wednesday, it rained cats and dogs. It literally feels like Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day out here. The result has been East Coast ski resorts, which got their mountains open here in mid to late November, have been unable to significantly expand their open terrain.
What makes this more devastating is seeing the significant snowfall occurring out west, which makes me ponder: will it get better, or is it a sign of things to come?
To counter this powder panic, Vermont ski industry executives are less worried. Snowmaking operations have continuously improved, and staffing has improved from last year, which hindered trail and lift openings.
According to NBC 5, currently, 10% of the terrain at Vermont ski resorts is open to the public. They typically are at 20% at this time of year, but it can range from 4%-60%.
Still, though, there needs to be a snowmaking window to get terrain open, as the vital Christmas week period is coming up in a couple of weeks. This window could be coming in the next week, barring any forecast changes. The video report from NBC 5 is below.
Image/Video Credits: Stratton Mountain, Killington Resort, NBC 5
