The Snow Situation for this week

[drewvw]

From what I'm reading now, it looks like it could be 3-5ish during the day (in nh) and then maybe more at night? What are other people seeing?

EDIT: not going to be cold on thursday, read the wrong day and time of day :)

[danimal]

Looks like Northern VT is going to get pounded according to the Jay Peak site. Something along the lines of 18" predicted from Wed-Friday. Accuweather snowfall map shows 6" or so. Skipping work sounds very appealing now!

[PwdrHound]

Looks like Northern VT is going to get pounded according to the Jay Peak site. Something along the lines of 18" predicted from Wed-Friday. Accuweather snowfall map shows 6" or so. Skipping work sounds very appealing now!

I've been disappointed with Jay this year.....The Hill seems to be a bit over optimistic.

[drewvw]

18" seems to be way high based on what everyone else is saying...if central/northern gets 6+ I'll be psyched. Or no ice at least...

[danimal]

I've been disappointed with Jay this year.....The Hill seems to be a bit over optimistic.

Very true. They predicted large snow for this past Friday, and a dusting was the result. I'd be stoked if their current predictions came through, however!

[yuckster]

in all fairness to Jay re: last Friday, the NOAA forecasters were talking about upslope snow and saying "wouldn't be surprised if Jay got 8-10" out of this setup"...

Of course, upslope is very hard to predict, and that's why it was only in the discussion and not the official forecast...

[PWDR8S]

Current conditions in Sunapee region......
We got about 2" of snow overnight and it's now on a break after an hour of sleet. Looks like we might have sleet the rest of the day. :(

Not quite the barnburner of a storm... I'm hoping Alexandria(Cardigan) will report better.

[yuckster]

You really want to be far north for this one. Looks like a Whiteface/Jay/maybe Sugarloaf type of event.

[drewvw]

Current conditions in Sunapee region......
We got about 2" of snow overnight and it's now on a break after an hour of sleet. Looks like we might have sleet the rest of the day. :(

Not quite the barnburner of a storm... I'm hoping Alexandria(Cardigan) will report better.

Agreed...I am watching that area but so far it looks like they are going to get about the same. Not sure its worth one of my valuable "flex mornings" from work if I am going to be skiing slush.

[RR]

After the cold air resumes dominance on Thursday, there will be snow showers daily right through Saturday.

Sounds like things will be okay for the w/e activities :D

[danimal]

Agreed...I am watching that area but so far it looks like they are going to get about the same. Not sure its worth one of my valuable "flex mornings" from work if I am going to be skiing slush.

Drew,

I'd be interested in a "flex morning" up Firescrew if the snow looks good. Lemmie know... I'd be coming from Boston too.

[drewvw]

sounds good to me. I have a bit of a hard schedule I need to follow but if it works great!

The biggest hurdle now is the damn ice/sleet crap that seems to be coming down. This is the report from cardigan as of 8:30am:

"Trails will require traction and flaotation. Snow and sleet above packed snow w/ icy patches."

[Seeker]

CRAP! :mad:

[yuckster]

watching the radar now... sleet all the way up to Burlington and Exit 30 off of I-87. Already.

[drewvw]

Looks like Cardigan could get a anywhere from 4-10 inches of "something", but the low for tonight seems to only be about 21ish degrees.

Maybe it would stay soft? thoughts?

[davidhowland14]

it's supposed to be real cold this weekend, too. Hopefully it doesn't all lock up solid.

[yuckster]

Cardigan is going to have .25-.5" freezing rain crust sandwiched in there somewhere. The big question is whether it turns back to snow after the freezing rain, and for how long.

[PWDR8S]

it's supposed to be real cold this weekend, too. Hopefully it doesn't all lock up solid.

EEEEK! I can hear the crunching already! :eek:

[RR]

My spies in the Stowe area tell me that the rain line will be right around the Mansfield/Sterling/Madonna area. If it stays good, there should be a very fine result! I'm thinking that the three-pins will have to come along on my trip next week :D

[drewvw]

I think at this point, sneaking out tomorrow morning for a tour is all but out. Not worth it for me unless we get an overwhelming amount tonight, Ah well, another day.

[yuckster]

Rain or freezing rain reported just outside of Burlington.

Saranac Lake had 35 degrees and plain rain for a while, but is coming back down... my season pass is at Whiteface. Hope that was spared any rain or freezing rain.

[Luddite]

Bogus.
Worked from home till I got bored and decided then to take a Seacoast tour with the dog before things set up. It's that unique consistency; too soft for my mountain bike, too hard for my skis. Even though I'd like to drop 10 lbs, my 170 would not break though in most places. Kinda typical for January, I think it's time to buy some snowshoes. Otherwise this storm had no redeeming qualities :skierfrown:

[Seeker]

God! Does this mean I have to go HIKING this weekend? :cry:

[surfsnowywaves]

My spies in the Stowe area tell me that the rain line will be right around the Mansfield/Sterling/Madonna area. If it stays good, there should be a very fine result! I'm thinking that the three-pins will have to come along on my trip next week :D

Rob, you're coming up to VT next week?

[PWDR8S]

Sunapee update... I spent all afternoon outside touring around on skis getting pelted by grains of snow/ice and it diminished to a spritzy light drizzle of a sort for the last hr before the lull. Total acum... about 3-4" of sand like quality snow... heavy dense stuff but made for quick gliding.

Optimistically? It's making a denser base to cover and secure a many sneaky snow snakes! So there IS a redeeming value to this precip event! :D

Forgot to add.... temps consistant around 20-24F all day.

[davidhowland14]

Optimistically? It's making a denser base to cover and secure a many sneaky snow snakes! So there IS a redeeming value to this precip event! :D

This is what I wanted to hear. Thanks for the update!

[RR]

Rob, you're coming up to VT next week?Shop Appreciation Days at Stowe. A bunch of us from the Comm Ave store will be staying in a condo and enjoying some skiing 13th-15th.

Pete S has me thinking an after hours tour up into the Notch would be nice.

[drewvw]

it looks like further north the snow is drying out and it may snow more into Thursday.....and Maybe Saturday too.

So today is all about setting the table for the 2 feet of snow that's going to drop over the next few days :D

[Seeker]

Sunapee update... I spent all afternoon outside touring around on skis getting pelted by grains of snow/ice and it diminished to a spritzy light drizzle of a sort for the last hr before the lull. Total acum... about 3-4" of sand like quality snow... heavy dense stuff but made for quick gliding.

Optimistically? It's making a denser base to cover and secure a many sneaky snow snakes! So there IS a redeeming value to this precip event! :D

Forgot to add.... temps consistant around 20-24F all day.

P8s--any thoughts on how Cardigan might be?

[PWDR8S]

P8s--any thoughts on how Cardigan might be?

Last I heard was 4" of fresh from the noon day report yesterday... I cannot find anything else... The AMC lodge readings are way off in the total new in 24hrs (They're saying 1")

[surfsnowywaves]

Shop Appreciation Days at Stowe. A bunch of us from the Comm Ave store will be staying in a condo and enjoying some skiing 13th-15th.

Pete S has me thinking an after hours tour up into the Notch would be nice.

Yes, going up the Notch is always fun. Shoot me a PM later, I might be interested in a little xc action in the notch. Bonus: going back down towards Stowe is steep enough to bust out some shallow turns. Non-bonus: you're about a week too early, otherwise I could go out for a beer afterwards.

[boardman]

From Stowe's website this morning:

Stowe has received 12-16 inches of snow since this "long duration" storm began; it's still coming down and forecast to continue most of the day. Conditions are "still & clear": still snowing & clear up to your knees!

damn, something tells me we'll be hearing from the UVM boyz tomorrow . . .

Measurement at the Mansfield Stake is now 42" . . .

Next storm staying way south - boo; I was hoping to get some sort of freshies on Saturday. oh well.

[yuckster]

Huh, they were at 40" before the storm started. So sounds like a lot of wet snow and settlement occurred.

Report from the ADK ski touring council:

"Lake Colden picked up 6-8" of new snow, but settling due to the sleet meant no net gain - just a much firmer base which makes pretty much every popular route skiable."

Hmmmm, if that's the case up there, I'd expect southern locations to be not much better to far worse (it does seem that the Dacks made out a bit worse than the Northern Greens, with a wedge of warm air coming up in the west.) :( Jay Peak anyone?

[boardman]

Huh, they were at 40" before the storm started. So sounds like a lot of wet snow and settlement occurred.

Report from the ADK ski touring council:

"Lake Colden picked up 6-8" of new snow, but settling due to the sleet meant no net gain - just a much firmer base which makes pretty much every popular route skiable."

Hmmmm, if that's the case up there, I'd expect southern locations to be not much better to far worse (it does seem that the Dacks made out a bit worse than the Northern Greens, with a wedge of warm air coming up in the west.) :( Jay Peak anyone?


I dunno, dude. 12-16" and still snowing makes wet and settlement seem unlikely? Not sure when that measurement was taken at the stake, either. Compare with Killington, which is reporting only 4" this morning - which tells me they likely had flat-out rain for some time.

I'm sure samthaman & co. will be posting ridiculous pics of face shots and big drops tomorrow, and I'll be stuck at my desk wishing I was one of them.

[surfsnowywaves]

If you folks look closely and stop pooping yourselves about a mysterious snow disappearance;), you'll notice that 42 inches was for Jan 7, 2009. So it hasn't been updated for today, Jan 8, 2009. That was yesterday morning's reading, when in fact, only a little bit of snow had fallen. So hold your horses, kiddos. It'll be up there soon enough. :):):)

[tig]

will surely add 3-4 more before the day is true and it will be light. If u see the radars there god pukefest goin on off champlain and erie, so i bet whiteface stowe and jay, and perhaps even further south are good this weekend. Also perhaps the rangely area...

[Teledancer]

Last I heard was 4" of fresh from the noon day report yesterday... I cannot find anything else... The AMC lodge readings are way off in the total new in 24hrs (They're saying 1")

I have always found it hard to get accurate info from Cardigan lodge esp.
over the phone (if they even answer)
(is it a liability thing?)
best bet is to keep a weather eye....go and hope for the best
then theres parking on the wknd. :eek: and.... access road conditions....
though the plowing has improved over the years :D
I may give it a go on Saturday

[yuckster]

Here's the Stowe stake data - updated daily at 4pm:

1/6, 4pm 40"
1/7, 4pm 42"

So, they had a bit of wet to only get 2" of accum by yesterday. Hopefully lots of snow after it went back to snow! We'll find out today.

[drewvw]

I have always found it hard to get accurate info from Cardigan lodge esp.
over the phone (if they even answer)
(is it a liability thing?)
best bet is to keep a weather eye....go and hope for the best
then theres parking on the wknd. :eek: and.... access road conditions....
though the plowing has improved over the years :D
I may give it a go on Saturday

That one small hill you have to go up, that veer off to the right, that can be a real bear in bad conditions if you aren't driving a burly 4WD vehicle.

[Seeker]

That one small hill you have to go up, that veer off to the right, that can be a real bear in bad conditions if you aren't driving a burly 4WD vehicle.


No need for a burly 4/AWD, my Subie can handle it no problem. Otherwise, keep your speed up boys and girls! Road are usually plowed but no less difficult. We run a BC workshop and every year that we've had snow on Friday, we've had people unable to get up the hill.

[drewvw]

you are probably right...my affinity for old swedish cars is likely the real issue :)

[davidhowland14]

I'm sure samthaman & co. will be posting ridiculous pics of face shots and big drops tomorrow, and I'll be stuck at my desk wishing I was one of them.

if they post 'em, they'll be from Utah or Colorado, as that's where they left for a while ago. I'm not sure if the usual leave and the east gets dumped on rules apply, though.

[yuckster]

Dude, a Subie *is* a burly 4WD vehicle! Probably better in the snow than most SUV's, due to the lighter weight.

I too used to drive old Swedish rear wheel drive cars, and the comparison is like night and day. I burned a lot of rubber one day trying to get out of a my friends road in a foot of snow, which my newer Subie would have eaten for lunch and come back and said "gimme more!"

[davidhowland14]

my boss swears by his saab for snow driving. but i don't know. i enjoyed myself in the pathfinder I took up to vermont a while back, actualy. Rock solid while driving up the highways in the storm, and busted us out of the parking lot after getting plowed in with no trouble.

[PWDR8S]

you are probably right...my affinity for old swedish cars is likely the real issue :)


Blondes? Right? :p

Y'all might see me up theyah on Cardigan this Saturday.

[yuckster]

Up where? ;)

[PWDR8S]

Up where? ;)

Somewhere over the rainbow?

[drewvw]

I've had a whole bunch of old volvos over the years and as fun as they are to fishtail when the snow flies, they are not good for backcountry affairs. I just sold my last one and bought a classic saab 900 turbo just for the heck of it.

My girlfriend had one in college and I remembered how good it was in the snow, and this one is really good too even without snow tires.

My wife has a Pilot so that's the preferred vehicle but its not always available.

[Rider.Steve]

If the white lie fits, I will commit! You'll find me with my boyz in the Jay resort glades on saturday; we're heading up tomorrow night.

PM me if you want to hook up.

[surfsnowywaves]

It took me 5 hours to do the 3 1/2 hour Burlington-Topsfield drive today. I had to drive about 20 mph on I89 at the Monty-P exit :eek: Lots of snow! C'mon'n gettit!

[Seeker]

It took me 5 hours to do the 3 1/2 hour Burlington-Topsfield drive today. I had to drive about 20 mph on I89 at the Monty-P exit :eek: Lots of snow! C'mon'n gettit!


ARRRGGHH! Teaching at a Novice Tele clinic on Sat (which I always enjoy). Hitting Cardigan on Sunday. Wish I could hit it farther north but will make plenty of DO!

[Harkin Banks]

If I could be sure to make it back to my car at the Cardigan Lodge by 2:30-ish, I'd be in.
Then again, w/o free heels and skins, y'all would smoke me anyway.
Any hikers going?

[PwdrHound]

ARRRGGHH! Teaching at a Novice Tele clinic on Sat (which I always enjoy).

Are you teaching at the WaWa AMC clinic?

[RR]

Are you teaching at the WaWa AMC clinic?That's affirmative!

[Seeker]

That's affirmative!

What he said--both Telemark and I teach at that clinic.

[danimal]

If the white lie fits, I will commit! You'll find me with my boyz in the Jay resort glades on saturday; we're heading up tomorrow night.

PM me if you want to hook up.

Steve,

Awf and myself are changing plans and heading up to Jay for a one day assault Saturday. Snow looks much better than southern NH. Hit me up if you wanna meet up!