Spring is now here, and there are signs everywhere around the East...crocus and daffodils are popping, skiers and riders are getting sunburned, pond skimming contests are on the schedule everywhere you look, and ski resorts are packing it in where business is dropping off. In spite of these clear indications that the days are numbered on this season, there are still going to be plenty of opportunities to get turns in for weeks to come. All season long, Interstate 90 has served as a pretty good divider of the “haves” and the “have nots”, with the Catskills and portions of the Berkshires being exceptions to that rule. By and large, though, the bulk of the significant snow has fallen north of the Massachusetts Turnpike and the New York Thruway. This same area will see the bulk of the natural snow over the next couple of weeks, and the pattern is certainly set up to deliver fresh snow as we head into April.

The West is also very well stocked with snow for the stretch run of this season. In a typical La Nina year, Interstate 70 would serve as the cutoff of consistent snow, with the resorts to the north of that highway the beneficiaries of Mother Nature’s largess. The northern Rockies got off to a fast start, when cold air and the snowpack built up earlier than usual. The southward press of that cold air, in effect, suppressed the storm track to the south somewhat, so that the southern Rockies became more of a focal point for Pacific storms as the season wore on, so they also enjoyed a banner snow year. Heavy snow in the southern Rockies is somewhat unusual when a La Nina is sitting over the tropical Pacific. Snowfall in the Great Lakes was terrific this season, but the southern Appalachians into the mid Atlantic saw below normal snowfall, so snowmaking had to carry the load this season. From southern Pennsylvania southward to the mountains of North Carolina, resorts have been wrapping things up the past few days, and the number of closed resorts in this region is growing.

Looking ahead, the jet stream pattern is going to be a zonal, or west to east, configuration for the foreseeable future. Canada is colder than normal from coast to coast, and the southern United States is warming pretty quickly, especially in the Southwest, where Mexican hot air is building early. The contrast from north to south suggests a fast moving jet stream, with storms thriving where the temperature contrast is greatest...from the upper Midwest to the northern mid Atlantic states. That will form the storm track for the next ten days to two weeks, and north of the track, where the Canadian cold will hold sway, snowfall can be expected. Once again, I will defer to the I-90 boundary...north of that road, spring is going to have to wait. The higher elevations in the Catskills and southern Berkshires will help to retain enough cold air for snow, too, but mixed precip will also be a threat in those areas, as it has been much of this season. Quite honestly, I am very surprised that we haven’t seen a major snowstorm in the Northeast during the past couple of weeks. The pattern has been set up pretty well for such an event, but everything hasn’t come together just right...yet. The jet stream flow is a fast one, and that argues against a major storm to some extent...at times the jet stream can be so strong that it is difficult to get it to buckle, which is necessary for a sizable storm to form and move at a speed that maximizes snowfall. Over the next 10 days to 2 weeks, multiple short wave troughs will zip along from west to east, and each one will spread snow across the north, a mix in the middle, and rain and springtime thundershowers south of the track of the low pressure center. Keep your eyes on your favorite weather map...there are some powder days yet to come north of I-90.

Overall, it looks to me as though the month of April will be colder than normal in New York and New England, as well as Quebec. Resorts that decide to extend their seasons in this region will have helpful weather to work with. The web sites of your favorite resorts are a great place to find out about upcoming special events...you can also find out what’s up by checking the “comments” column on the SnoCountry snow report for your chosen state or region. Let the gardening and the golf wait...enjoy the sunshine, the smaller crowds, and if you are alert, the late season powder days.