Over the past few weeks, the Northeast went through a rough stretch. Multiple rainstorms brought flooding, and a lack of snowmaking windows to open more terrain at ski resorts. Where I lived, a fog hung around from Christmas Day until Friday, resulting in intermittent rain showers.
The ultimate result was people were reluctant to shred during the Holiday break. According to WMUR, skier visits at Gunstock Mountain Resort during the Holiday week were down between 40-50% compared to last year. Businesses across New Hampshire also saw similar drops in visitation.
A few days ago, Scripps News covered how the Mt. Washington Valley was handling the dire conditions last week. Jim Pettengill of the White Mountain Trail Club detailed his concern, as the lack of snow made for the inability to go snowmobiling. Elizabeth Berkowski, who’s a climate scientist for the University of New Hampshire, detailed her concerns with how the climate is changing. The data shows New Hampshire’s winters have been reduced by three weeks compared to a century ago. Over at Cranmore, while they were open, limited terrain was available for shredding.
Luckily, the end of the week gave reprieve for some ski resorts in the state. Mountains like Cannon and Loon saw some snowfall over the weekend, and cold temperatures have led to a solid snowmaking window.
After going to Sunapee on Christmas Day, I didn’t end up skiing again until New Year’s Day. I decided to head up to Loon and expected my teeth to shatter from all the ice. I was pleasantly surprised at how decent conditions were, with Loon going all in on blowing snow on its open terrain. Were there icy spots? Of course, as this is New England skiing after all. But to be skiing soft snow after the past week of fog, rain, and a refreeze gives me hope for what’s ahead… At least for this season.
Image Credits: Scripps News, Ian Wood
Video Credits: WMUR, Scripps News
