Hardiest New England Resorts Work to Prolong the Season

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04 April 2016

Push to The Latest: No

sugarloaf snowmaking SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine, April 4, 2016—While only a handful of New England ski resorts remain open, several are planning to continue operations for weeks, if not a month or more.

Sugarloaf's snowmakers capitalized on a window of cold temps today by resuming snowmaking operations—marking the first time in the area's 65 year history that the resort has ever made snow in April. Sugarloaf expects to continue snowmaking operations on as many as four trails through Tuesday night, when forecasts are calling for temperatures to rise out of snowmaking range.

Despite the challenging weather this winter, Sugarloaf has made roughly double the amount of snow as it would in a typical season, and has made snow in every month since October. This week's snowmaking will bolster base depths in advance of Sugarloaf annual Reggae Fest, scheduled for April 14-17.

Sunday River, Maine, also expects to resume snowmaking operations this evening. The area has about 400 acres of terrain open currently. After April 10, Sunday River plans to shift to weekend-only operations (plus Patriot's Day Monday April 18) and continue operating, albeit on less terrain each weekend, through May 1.

Killington Resort, Vt., is preparing to stretch its snowpack, said to be up to 30 feet deep in places, late into spring. “The final snowmaking push of the season is complete and Superstar is buried under 20 to 30 feet of snow, so we will continue turning chairlifts into May if Mother Nature cooperates,” said Mike Solimano, president and general manager for Killington Resort. “We were the first resort in North America open for skiing and snowboarding this past October and we intend, like last year, to have the longest on-snow season in our region.”

Elsewhere in Vermont, Stowe, which invested $10 million in its snowmaking plant over the past few seasons, is planning to remain open until April 24. It currently has a 10-32 inch base. Sugarbush, too, is planning on a long season, after seven inches of new snow refreshed the “deep” base on its snowmaking terrain.

In New Hampshire, Wildcat, closed for the day today, to give its grooming crews a 36-hour window in which to move snow around on the mountain and extend the season.