
This is not exactly how the local ski industry hoped the beginning of February school vacation weeks would turn out.
Many ski areas throughout New England ended up closing or offered very limited terrain Friday due to high winds and challenging shifts in temperature. Perhaps the most accurate description for what base areas across the region looked like came from Mad River Glen’s “snow” report: “Had we known what the base area would look like at 3 a.m. we would have just organized a pond skim event for today…”
Mad River Glen was among those closing for the day, as did Cannon Mountain, Attitash, Saddleback, Magic Mountain, and Wildcat Mountain. Others, like Pats Peak and Bretton Woods went with a delayed opening.
Rain, coupled with a drastic dip in temperatures, caused plenty of freezing, leaving ski area operators scrambling in order to preserve snow for the pivotal fortnight.