March 4, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

All indicators predict a March to remember

by Matt Boxler/

At Sugarbush, more sunshine and warming temperatures translate to fun competitions. (photo: Aaron Codling/Sugarbush)

At Sugarbush, more sunshine and warming temperatures translate to fun competitions. (photo: Aaron Codling/Sugarbush)

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Results of a recent Ski Vermont survey coupled with current statistics from National Weather Service headquarters in Burlington, Vt., translate to one very predictable forecast — spring riding will be off the hook.

March is among the greatest months to ski and ride in New England, according to 98 percent of the enthusiasts polled this season by Ski Vermont. Those numbers, while expected, are nonetheless reassuring, said Jen Butson, director of public affairs for Vermont Ski Areas Association.

“I found it reaffirming to see that our skiing and riding community really sees the value of this time of year on the mountains — and understands our core messages of good temps, fewer crowds, great deals and more sunshine,” she said.

According to the survey, fewer crowds were cited as the top reason that March riding rules. Great temperatures, more sunshine, good snow base and super deals were also ranked as the top reasons to look forward to March.

“We polled our active audience of e-newsletter readers and inserted the survey link into our weekly update newsletter, and just got the stats from SurveyMonkey.com — which is always handy as it calculates the graphs and numbers,” Butson said. “It’s much less formal than a scientific poll. It’s just a nice opinion poll.”

The formal, scientific numbers are equally as reaffirming. The National Weather Service is reporting two more feet of snow than average at this time of year. And Butson said Vermont resorts have snow bases upward of 70 inches.

“While the snow is certainly on our side, we also have to give credit to the fine work of the mountain ops crews on the mountains,” Butson said. “Their grooming of the snow day-in and day-out really primes the conditions to be as great as they are. It also doesn’t hurt that in Vermont, 70 percent of the ski and ride trails have snowmaking — to kick into gear any time Mother Nature goes on a brief sabbatical.”

In addition to the testimonials, Ski Vermont researchers also sought to validate opinions with quantitative data. Here’s what they discovered:

► Take a layer off — The average high for March is 37 degrees and the average low is a comfortable 20 degrees. Additionally, daylight hours are longer, which allows for people to rise with the sun at 6:05 a.m. and enjoy après ski sunsets at 7 p.m.

► Fewer crowds — Indeed, March does see a drop in skiers and riders from the holiday vacation months of January and February. That’s more mountain for you to enjoy.

► Good snow — Over the last three seasons, Vermont’s average percentage of trails open for the entire month of March is 83 percent. That’s more than 1,000 trails to explore. March’s soft and plentiful snow, coupled with the ideal temperatures, also makes it the perfect month for beginners to learn the sport.

► Save a buck — Those 52 percent of skiers and riders who visit Vermont in March for deals are very mountain-savvy. Lift ticket prices fall and bargains abound. More than 10 ski areas offer tickets for $39 or less and many also offer ski and stay packages.

Butson says the snowboarding community will discover loads of March and April ride-specific events popping up all over the state. Fun activities are plentiful, including concerts, rail jams, barbecues, beach parties, Mardi Gras, St. Patty’s Day, and Black Tie & Denim benefits. Butson recommends riders do a “pond skim” of upcoming events at: www.skivermont.com/trip_planning/event/.

“For many, those last few weekend trips in March and certainly well into April are ‘must-do's’ before we retire the board to the closet and shift gears to bike/golf/water sports,” she said. “But it also is especially nice for those folks trying new tricks, because the snow is soft as we get warmer days.”

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