Will We See a January Thaw on the Slopes?
By Heather Burke, Boston.com Correspondent
Its mid-January and ski resorts have already had a winter of ups and downs, and I don’t mean just chairlifts and ski runs. After a snowy start to the winter — Sugarloaf saw 4 feet in December — Christmas week brought record warmth and wetness around New England. Then last week’s deep freeze at ski resorts brought temperatures well below zero, followed by more polar air this week and a dusting of fresh snow in the mountains. Skiers are asking, where’s that January thaw? Global warming?
No January thaw means ski resorts keep their base depths intact and can make more snow as they approach the important three-day Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. Who has the most terrain open in New England? It’s interesting to watch the key snowmaking players rise and fall from the top spot. Killington currently has the most terrain open (639 acres), with Okemo just behind with 567 acres. In Maine, Sugarloaf and Sunday River in Maine have 558 acres and 543 respectively. For comparison, these numbers are very similar to open terrain stats at this time last year.
By Heather Burke, Sunday River Photos by Greg Burke
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com