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You don’t have to jump on a plane to Vail, Aspen, Jackson Hole or Park City to ski this winter: New York is within driving distance of several destinations that promise almost as much allure.

This week’s weather will feature very different weather across the country. While the east deals with much above-average temperatures, a winter-like chill and snow take over the west.

This winter, Hunter, Windham Mountain and Belleayre tout major improvements boosting the ski experience in the Catskills. Altogether, the biggest areas in the region invested $25 million in new lifts, convenient ticketing systems and improved snowmaking.

Westside Six, the brand new, high speed, detachable six passenger chairlift at Windham Mountain Resort is now open. The resort celebrated a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony Dec. 29.

New York’s Windham Mountain Resort and the Adaptive Sports Foundation have joined forces with the Capital Region Nordic Alliance, Inc. (CRNA) to offer Nordic and ParaNordic activities at Windham Country Club this winter, including cross country skiing, snowshoeing, orienteering, and biathlon (light-based and paintball). 

Whether you want to take your skiing and riding to the next level, tackle fears or just take time for yourself, there’s a women’s program at a Northeast resort that can fit the bill. 

Thanksgiving weekend will be especially tasty in the western United States and Canada with multiple helpings of snow storms.

So you’ve got a friend – or perhaps a significant other –that you’d love to share your passion for the mountains with. You know that if that friend can have as great a time skiing or riding as you do, he or she will be hooked. Having a fun and successful first outing is key to making sure new skiers and riders will keep coming back for more, so SnoCountry.com picked some great destinations for making those learning days just the beginning of many wonderful days on snow.

Riding in style at Windham next year. (Windham)

A new high speed, detachable six-passenger chairlift will be installed at Windham Mountain Resort this summer. The Doppelmayr lift will run from the base area to the summit, replacing the current Whistler Triple, better known as “F Lift.”

 Powder is ticking upward at Colorado's Telluride. (Twitter/Telluride)

The storm pattern will align pretty well with the Rocky Mountain range this week meaning plentiful snow. The East will stay active while warming up.

Looking forward to a white winter at Windham. (Windham/Facebook) 

New York’s Windham will be making and grooming snow more efficiently than ever with an increasingly automated snowmaking system and environmentally friendly grooming fleet, thanks to $2 million investments this year.

Family golf at Stowe. (Stowe)

The kids might be going back to school soon, but there’s still plenty of time to enjoy some great deals at the greens and fairways of the golf courses across Northeast ski resorts.

Ropes are dropping on trails from California to Maine as snowstorms and snowmaking weather offer up one of the best starts to a winter in recent memory. As your options open up, mountain general managers from across the country shared with SnoCountry.com their not-to-miss routes for fun on the hill.

The 9th edition of World Snowboard Day will bring together riders from across the globe Sunday, Dec. 21– from beginners to experts – to kick off the season, and to celebrate snowboarding and its unique subculture.

It came down hard and wet, the perfect base-building snow, and more is on the way.

It's an expansion year for Windham Mountain Resort in New York’s Catskill Mountains as Chip Seamans, resort president and general manager announced $4.2 million in improvements. It’s the second consecutive year of capital infusions.

Gore Mountain in New York’s southern Adirondacks, managed by the state’s Olympic Regional Development Authority, will retire North America’s oldest triple chair. The Adirondack Express will give way this summer to a new, $6 million high-speed detachable quadruple lift.

The Adirondack Express II is not the only ORDA upgrade on the docket, as the office of Governor Andrew Cuomo said that an Albany construction firm will soon start rebuilding the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, near Lake Placid.

The eight-mile road from the Town of Wilmington, open from May to October, brings visitors to the summit of the state’s fifth highest peak. The highway has fallen into disrepair over the years, but an expenditure of $11 million is expected to fix that, as well as related infrastructure.

On the other side of New York, Holiday Valley, near Buffalo, has opened the front nine holes of its golf course, and is just waiting for the rest of the layout to dry before offering all 18 holes.
Also, Holiday Valley’s Sky High Adventure Park opens May 2; the three-pool complex welcomes guests beginning May 24; a multitude of events dot the calendar from June to November, which can be found on their website.

While visitors are enjoying all these activities, summer improvements will take place, such as snowmaking enhancements, trail work and upgrades to the Inn at Holiday Valley.

Windham Mountain, in the Catskills, opened their golf course, the Windham Country Club, April 25 after rebuilding four holes that were ruined by Hurricane Irene in August 2011.

Windham is offering a combination pass for 2014-2015, which includes an unlimited membership at the country club and Mountaineer Series.

Stock-piled snow will be used for Windham’s Endless Winter Rail Jam May 24. There will be an Independence Day party July 4; the UCI Windham (mountain biking) World Cup Aug. 9-10; Oktoberfest Sept. 6; and the Ahimsa Yoga and Music Festival Oct. 4-5.

Photo: Windham Mt. piles up snow for May 24 Endless Winter Rail Jam (Windham/Facebook)

“Happy April,” exclaimed Gore Mountain’s Emily Stanton to SnoCountry.com. “We are open daily through Sunday (April 6). We’re asking people to visit our website or check ahead regarding the schedule for next week. We’ll have events throughout April.”

New York State will offer “I Ski NY” busses to bring visitors to upstate ski areas from New York City and Toronto beginning next season.

The first major snowstorm of the 2013-14 winter season rolled through the Northeast this past weekend, dropping up to two feet of snow on ski areas from Pennsylvania through Maine.