SnoNews

A storm that may end up being the largest from coast-to-coast is already underway. From blizzard conditions in California to feet in the East, we’ve got the entire breakdown here for where to ski and ride in the coming week.

Bring on a snowy 2019! If your resolution is to ski/ride more, you’re in the right place - read on for the snow jackpots in our forecast. 

November has been good to many of us and the pattern to begin December is looking colder for most, with potential for more heavy storms.

It's Christmas in November at the Mont-Sainte-Anne Cross-Country Ski Center in Beaupre, Quebec open with 10 km of trails starting Nov. 17. Thanks to the abundant snowfall received in November, it is the earliest in the last seven years.
 

Snowy and still cold through April 20-21? Absolutely! This colder-than-average weather pattern for much of the East will stay through the weekend (21-22) with a gradual warm-up for the final week of April (24-27). That said, with cold air in place we’ll have a better chance at keeping and getting more snow. 

A detachable quad for quick access to Tremblant North Side skiing and riding. (Mont Tremblant)

Replacement of the Lowell Thomas chairlift, renovating and expanding summit chalet Le Grand Manitou, creating new glades and renovating La Fourchette du Diable on the North Side base are all part of Alterra Mountain Company’s latest plans for Mont Tremblant.

Excitement for this snowy March continues at Okemo. (Okemo/Facebook)

How about this start to March? We’ve already had two nor’easters to kick off the month and another may be around the corner.

Aspen Snowmass in a sweet spot this week. (Jordan Curet)

The Eastern United States will see it all this week from snow and cold to warmth and rain. The West will be consistently snowy, especially across the Rockies.

Stoneham's newest lift. (Stoneham) 

Santa Claus himself will deliver the Éclipse to Quebec's Stoneham Mountain Resort’s snow lovers Dec. 23. This new lift, a new fixed-grip quad with a loading conveyor belt, replaces the double lift La Bordée and the T-bar Le Chinook, respectively 50 and 32-year-old equipment. 

Ski Vermont has all the info you need for a green mountain getaway. (Martha Wilson)

Some 50,000 New Englanders are expected to pass through the Boston.com Ski & Snowboard Expo hall this weekend at the Seaport World Trade Center- and for good reason - making winter ski and snowboard plans, finding deals on family vacation packages, lift tickets, travel and ski/snowboard gear – much at Expo-only specials.

The Twilight Portal at Mont Tremblant's Tonga Lumina. (Tonga Lumina/Facebook)

For a unique take on discovering Quebec’s Mont Tremblant, mountain explorers can now visit Tonga Lumina, an immersive, interactive and illuminated night walk that begins with a ride on the Flying Mile lift and plunges spectators into a universe that showcases the mountain’s natural elements.

Live music is the order of the day in Mont Sainte Anne's Spring Madness. (Mont Sainte Anne)

Quebec's Mont-Sainte-Anne is ready to embrace six weeks of spring skiing. Every year, the resort is the last one to close in Quebec region, and one of the last in the Eastern North America. The projected closing date for this season is April 30.

All April, the traditional Spring Madness will be back with five weekends of sunny terraces, live outdoor band performances and sugar shack on the slopes. A spring ski pass, giving unlimited access to both Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham Mountain Resort, is now valid and can still be purchased.

Many believe the best part of spring skiing is the après-ski. Mont-Sainte-Anne understands that very well, which is why you'll see live bands with outdoor performances every Saturday at 3:00 on the stage at the base of the mountain. On Sundays, it’s a DJ that will keep the party going. And for the lucky ones that bring their bathing suits, there will be free access to outdoor spas on the terrace. Nothing better than listening to a band, outside, in a spa, with a drink in hand.

It happens every year for the Easter weekend: Easter bunnies will distribute chocolate eggs all over the mountain to the little ones (and the grown-ups too). On Sunday, the punk-rock band Christopher Bard will give a show on the outdoor stage.

Every weekend, starting April 1, Mont-Sainte-Anne Spring Madness brings animation for the family, inflatable playground, campfires, outdoor BBQs and spas, live shows, sugar shack on the slopes, festive vibe and spring conditions.

Stowe Mountain Resort is swimming in fresh snow, along with most other ski areas in the northeast after the most recent Nor'easter. Thirty-four inches and counting as of Wednesday afternoon. (Stowe Mountain Resort/Twitter).

After a crazy blizzard in the Northeast and a spring-like stretch for the West, here’s what to expect by region March 15-20.

55 inches in just six days at Washington’s Crystal Mountain. (Crystal Mountain/Facebook)

Starting off with a bang in this week’s SnoCast! A nor’easter for the Eastern U.S., and the hits keep coming out West, too. February continues to bring excellent ski conditions to much of the country.

Here’s what to expect by region for Feb. 8- 14.

West: The hits keep coming for the Western U.S. With storm after storm lining up, there continues to be plenty of moisture/snow/rain for this week. Some trouble, though, with the storm finishing this work week. Snow levels are much higher than some other recent systems this winter. This will still mean heavy snow dumps at the highest peaks, but more wet and sloppy precipitation for the mid and lower bases for some ski areas. Expect the best snow to reach the highest Sierras in California, the Washington Cascades, Idaho, Western Montana, and Wyoming through Friday. Then by the weekend, the snow will shift to the interior Rockies with snow for Utah, Colorado, and perhaps sagging as far south as New Mexico’s peaks late in the weekend. Calmer weather with good breaks of sun for much of the West Sunday to early next week. Best bets: Mammoth (late Friday or early Saturday), Crystal Mtn northward to Mt Baker in Washington (Thursday-Friday), Schweitzer, Silver Mtn, Steamboat, Sleeping Giant  (weekend).

East/Midwest: A nor’easter will bring significant snowfall, generally 6+ inches for the northeast Wednesday-Thursday. New snow will stretch from West Virginia all the way to Maine, with the “sweet spot” likely in the Berkshires of Mass to southern Maine where locally a foot of snow will likely fall. The track of this storm will likely bring heaviest snow to the I-95 corridor, so travel may be a little tough to make a long trip to the ski areas during the storm if you don’t live nearby. This storm will be quick, with the last of the snow wrapping up within 24 hours, done for all by Thursday evening. Calm conditions Friday will keep conditions pleasant (I’d recommend earlier in the day to get the freshest snow before it gets skied off).

Another light shot of snow dips over the Midwest/Great Lakes Friday, and toward New England Saturday. Weather models do show another larger storm brewing for the Northeast/New England Sunday into Monday (Feb 12-13), but the track of it may bring mixed precip and not all snow with that, so keep an eye to the forecast specifics closer in time to pick your best window. Best Bets:  Jiminy Peak , Mount Snow, Stratton, Mount Sunapee (Thursday-Friday).

Canada: A steady plume of moisture keeps the snow falling across Western Canada, especially Thursday and Friday. Conditions will be excellent (and goggles essential) for most mountains in British Columbia and Alberta to finish the week. In the East, a clipper system brings light snow amounts to the slopes beginning Friday and tapering off through early Saturday morning. Another storm will develop early next week and while the Northeast U.S. may see rain mix in, many Quebec ski areas will see great conditions and new snow. Keep an eye on the forecast for exact amounts closer to the storm. Best bets: Lake Louise, Whistler, Grouse, Big White (Friday or Saturday) 

'Til next week's SnoCast, enjoy these amazing conditions. As always, a shout out and thanks to Lyndon State College students Amanda Stone, Christopher Kurdek, and Scott Myerson for their weekly contributions and forecasts for SnoCast.

"Stop" -  a word hardly ever muttered by ski areas in the winter. But, with recent crippling snow in the West, we may have had a little too much of a good thing. A break to regroup is in the forecast. (Image: Crested Butte/Facebook)

In this week's SnoCast, a brief respite from an extremely active West, and variable conditions in the East leading into the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Here's what to expect for weather conditions by region.

More snow on the way turning the corner to 2017. Read on to see what's cookin' in this week's SnoCast with meteorologist Kerrin Jeromin. (National Weather Service)

We’re saying “peace out, 2016”, and hello to a beautiful new (hopefully snow-filled) 2017. Our resolution to ski and ride more in 2017 will be no problem with a Nor’easter in the East to finish this week, and a more active pattern digging into the West after the turn of the new year.

The forecast may not be ideal, but ski areas are determined to open. Loveland is set to spin chairs on Thursday, Nov. 10 and others hope to follow with help from Mother Nature. (Loveland/Facebook)

Still not exactly the weather pattern we all are hoping for in this week’s SnoCast. But, even if Mother Nature won’t deliver the big picture, we’ll find the small previews of winter weather to keep us giddy for what’s ahead. Here’s the breakdown of this week’s forecast.

Current Conditions: A strong ridge of high pressure still dominates the weather over much of the US, delivering mainly dry air and warm temps.

Forecast: However, small breakdowns of this ridge over the next week delivers a little moisture and brief windows of cold for snowmaking. Look for a brief colder period and a small coating of snow over northern New England/Quebec Friday into the start of the weekend (Nov. 11-12). In the west, two waves of moisture will bring mostly rain with the warmth, but some decent high elevation snow to British Columbia and some western peaks Friday night and again Sunday-Monday. Here's a look at one output from the GFS (American) model...overall, somewhat dismal outlook this stretch.

Canada: Look for some good accumulating snow over B.C. Friday night (Nov 11) - several inches likely for the coastal range, including Whistler Blackcomb which has already had an epic start this year for snowfall. Another wave of moisture brings several more inches to all B.C. ranges Sunday night to Monday (Nov. 13-14). A light dusting to two inches will also come with a period of cold and snowmaking opportunity for Quebec ski areas Friday-Saturday.  

East: A brief shot of colder air fills into New England Friday-Saturday (Nov. 11-12) which coats the mountains with a dusting to two inches. You bet the mountains that can will be snowmaking in hopes of getting the season underway ASAP. Unfortunately, it’s a short window, and warmth will slide back in to follow through early next week. The overall pattern may shift colder looking ahead toward the days leading up to and around Thanksgiving.

West: While most of the western outlook is dismal at best, look for a decent shot of snow (likely several inches) over the Washington Cascades Sunday night-Monday (Nov 13-14). What I’ll be watching for here is the bleed in of that moisture and colder air to perhaps deliver snow to more of the western mountains approaching mid next week (Nov. 15-17) … but will need a little more time to develop more certainty on that and amounts, which I’ll do in next week’s SnoCast.

Despite a somewhat crummy hand of cards dealt from Mother Nature, some ski areas are still set to open this week. Check out Loveland Ski Area's plan to spin chairs.  Until we can get a solid pattern change (which looks more likely in the last 10-12 days of this month) we will have to continue doing our snow dance, friends.

Think snowy thoughts, 'til next week's SnoCast!

A group of Québec investors, residents of Sutton, have reached an agreement to acquire Ski Sutton Inc., the owner of the Mont Sutton ski resort.

Quebec’s Mont-Sainte-Anne kicks off its official 50th year celebration Jan. 16, with a full day of special events, prizes and offerings. Click for full schedule, but here are a few examples:

Since the beginning of the French colony, habitants of New France created a rowdy tradition of getting together just before Lent to eat, drink and be merry. The charm of Old Quebec City and their generous hospitality make this a must do for all lovers of winter.