Snow Report: The ‘Winter’ of Our Discontent
Sugarloaf fires up its snowguns. Photo via Sugarloaf
So far, this winter, in skiing terms, has sucked. Here’s the roundup of the latest grim news.
Warm Weather Delaying Ramp Up of Ski Season
It’s unseasonably mild, not just in Boston, but across the entire region. Temperatures at New England resorts have struggled to stay below freezing for an extended period of time, limiting the ability of ski areas to build a solid base of snow. To make things worse, rain that washes away new snow is predicted through next week at places like Sunday River and Sugarloaf. Smaller, more southern ski areas like Gunstock, Ragged, and Wachusett have struggled to make their own snow, forcing them to close after “opening” earlier in the season. Real winter weather and cold will eventually arrive in New England, but the El Nino weather pattern does not indicate it will be soon or that the snow quantities will be anything close to a repeat of last season.
Local Ski Areas Have Fun With Warm Weather
The Blue Hills Ski Area took to Facebook to reassure skiers that winter will arrive this season:
Posted by Blue Hills Ski Area on Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Meanwhile, Wachusett Mountain posted this photo of a bummed out tyke looking to buy a lift ticket:
For the brainy kid in your life
The Four.0 Pass is the perfect Christmas gift for the Vermont skier/college student in your life. Skiers with the pass receive unlimited access at Okemo, Mount Sunapee, Killington, and Pico for just $419.00. The pass comes with five buddy passes, too. It’s an amazing deal.
The median lift ticket in Massachusetts is $52
The fine people at NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com just wrapped their survey of resorts in the Commonwealth and found Jiminy Peak’s $71 lift ticket to be the most expensive, while Otis Ridge is the cheapest at $40 a pop.
Things Aren’t All Bad
Look, as much as this winter has all the trappings of being miserable for skiers, there does appear to be one upside: cheap gas prices. Natural gas prices are way down, so once the snow actually starts, you’ll be able to spend more money on skiing. Right?
