Hi All,

Got a late morning start today after a cold night just as the snow softened up from a brilliant sun, no wind and warm temps: 38 top but 45 base (now 50). Skiing was easy on soft slow snow. Snow had to be farmed to cover the lift on/off ramps which is normal for this time of year. HBK was very nice with good coverage as was Huega, Cliff & Ike. The top of Racer's is almost gone as is skier's right side of it - best to come into it from the top of Ike. I would guess that after more rains this week the top of Racer's will be closed off. Kennedy can no longer be accessed behind "B" lift from the east side - no snow. Snow also had to farmed on top in order to access all e-side trails but once thru that narroww area there was good coverage on all those slopes. Wayout was still firm and flat but you have to weave your way around lots of bare spots which were well marked. Claire's was closed - it looked like a glacier and there were numerous large bare spots especially at the very top, in the chutes and a very narrow exit area at the bottom where it joins Wayout. Unless they farm it - it will not be around for the weekend. The terrain park is slowly being dismantled.

There was good entertainment today courtesy of a mother bear and her 2 cubs sliding and frolicking on Uppercross, Minya and E-side all of which were closed off for a while by ski patrol as everyone stopped to watch at close range from various locations - wish I had my camera but it was filmed by a Hunter crew who happened to be on location so maybe it will show up on the website late today / tomorrow. I will look for it and attach the link to my next report.

Wed pm into Thurs & Fri looks like more rain but the weeknd is looking dry and warm for a good deck party.

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Abundant sunshine. High 47F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tonight: Some clouds. Low 29F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Cloudy skies early. A few showers developing later in the day. High 44F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
• Tomorrow night: Rain showers in the evening becoming more intermittent overnight. Low 34F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
• Thursday: Morning showers. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 30s.
• Friday: Cloudy with rain. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the upper 30s.
• Saturday: Few showers. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 30s.

Following notice is a request by Alan Belsky on behalf of his son who is trying to raise charity money by skiing so please click and read: http://www.huntermtn.com/huntermtn/SiteAssets/files/news/shea-ski-a-thon.pdf

Hi All,

Welcome Rocky to the list as no. 72.

Ski?? You couldn't pay me to ski today. Thunder and lightening storms overnight with dense fog and rain this am followed by 2 snow squalls and sleet with strong wind - temps mid 30's. Nasty cold damp day - pity the ski patrol who were probably the only ones out there. If any of you were crazy enough to venture out today please post your comments on my blog site: http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/ I don't think even that either Wayne or Rose (who is smart enough to be in Florida now) would have had any good things to say about today. It should all freeze tonight so early am skiing tomorrow may not be the smart thing to do but hey - each to his or her own. Forecasts below as usual. Hard to believe that Wed will be the first day of trout season.

Reminder: This Sat will be the pond skimming party with the "Rockaholics" performing live.

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Windy. Snow showers will mix with rain at times this afternoon. High 38F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of precip 40%.
• Tonight: Some passing clouds. Low 28F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
• Tomorrow: Sunny skies. High near 50F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 29F. Winds light and variable.
• Wednesday: Few showers. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the mid 30s.
• Thursday: Showers. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the low 40s.
• Friday: Showers possible. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the upper 30s.

Hi all,

Spring is here to stay! It rained light but steady most of last night and the fog was gone by 9am. Temps were in the 40's but quickly climbed to 60 with strong sun. All open trails were skiable soft snow, some slick spots, some water spots, more thin coverage, spreading bare spots and few people. It was fun for a while - All slopes that had at least the pitch of Hgate were heavily moguled with lots of heavy granular snow. 60% of Hgate from tower 15 down thru Ike was fenced off for the races tomorrow. Claire's was open but the only access was from Taylors due no snow at the bottom of the Alternate. K27 was also open today. There are very thin coverage spots on the top which after the warm rains expected this Sunday (possible thunder showers) could cut off access to all e-side trails as well as Beltpkwy. I question how Hunter can stay open until April 11. Getting onto the quad was like mini-pond skimming and all flat areas on the mtn were saturated and very slow / grabby. http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Tonight: Overcast. Low 32F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Partly cloudy skies. High 53F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Showers early, becoming a steady rain late. Low 37F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
• Sunday: Rain showers in the morning will evolve into a more steady rain in the afternoon. High 46F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
• Monday: Rain. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 30s.
• Tuesday: Mostly cloudy and windy. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid 20s.

Hi All,

I was off the mtn top today due lousy weather and surface conditions that I was told "sucked". Had some light rain this am but mostly dry, cloudy and warm now with 40's to 50 & heavier rain this evening with fog in the am. Weather continues to be a major factor for the weekend with very changeable typical March conditions expected. If we don't get cold nights the snow will be really mushy from start to finish. Not aware of any big doings for the weekend although a portion of Hgate down B'way & Ike will be fenced off for J1 & J2 races - USSA sponsored.

Injury report: Karen " Moo Moo" Sanderson said:

"On Friday during the NJSC race clinic while standing at the top of Madison doing a drill, I wound up partially tearing the ligament connecting the planter fascia (connective tissue under the foot) to the heel in the left foot. My left foot is now in a soft cast until April 3."

Ski Ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Tonight: Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly this evening. Low 32F. SE winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
• Tomorrow: A few clouds early, otherwise mostly sunny. High near 55F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Cloudy. Low 32F. Winds light and variable.
• Saturday: Cloudy. High 51F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
• Sunday: Cloudy. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the mid 30s.
• Monday: Cloudy with rain. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the upper 20s.

Hi All,

As I predicted yesterday, a great fun day of skiing today. Brilliant warm sun, no wind, light crowd and soft non-sticky snow. The temp dipped to 15 overnight but by 9 am hit 40 and now 52. All front side trails were sweet early except Racer's which didn't soften until noon time. Wayout stayed firm and flat, Claire's was closed due to ice (maybe open now), Whitecloud and UpperK closed for the season due lack of snow joining Apurna on that list. Thursday could be a non-ski day due to wet cloudy weather but Fri looks good as does Sat. http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: A mix of clouds and sun. High 43F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tonight: Some clouds. Low near 25F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Rain showers in the morning becoming a steady light rain in the afternoon. High 42F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
• Tomorrow night: Rain diminishing to a few showers late. Low 32F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
• Friday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the low 30s.
• Saturday: More clouds than sun. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the mid 30s.
• Sunday: Cloudy, periods of rain. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the upper 20s.

Hi All,

Finally spring skiing returns although early am was still winter conditions. Temps went from 21 to 40 now but still a bit breezy. Temp at the summit ranged from 20 - 24 thru 1:30 pm. The sun was strong again and softened the snow alot more and sooner than yesterday but you still took a risk by skiing ungroomed trails which included Racer's, Gunhill, Milky. Claire's was closed (glare ice) and Wayout wasn't pleasant until after noon time. Best trail today with very sweet corn snow: Eside to Lowercross followed by Minya, HBK & Cliff /Ike. Quad was running slow all day due to occasional gusty winds but really not warranted. The cold nights have really preserved base as only one trail is closed for lack of snow - Apurna. Tomorrow could be the best day of the week before rain arrives Thurs and again on Sunday. Diane reported that Vince's prostate surgery was successful and he is in recovery - good news!! Today Hunter hosted a Windham vs. Hunter employee ski race challenge on Madison - don't know who won (don't care). The crowd today was very light again as expected. http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Tonight: Mainly clear. Low 16F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
• Tomorrow: Sunny skies. High 46F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. Low 24F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
• Thursday: Cloudy with occasional showers for the afternoon. High 43F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
• Friday: Chance of afternoon showers. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 30s.
• Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the upper 20s.

Hi All,

Brrrrrrrr! Cold and windy day but the strong sun saved it. It was in the mid teens overnight and only reaching 30 - 32 today but the wind chill made it feel like January. The temp at noon time at the summit was still only 14. Skiing was very hard and fast but at least visibilty was excellent. Grooming was only done on the main trails but it was still sugar and frozen granules on a solid concrete-like base. I didn't bother to check out the west side - just wasn't worth it. Cliff / Ike, HBK and Minya were the trails to stay on. Tuesday - Wed look better and certainly hope so.

Special good luck wishes and prayers for Vince Raimo who goes in the hospital for prostate surgery tomorrow - hope you're up & out in time for Trout season buddy!!

Ski on.............

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 28F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly clear. Low 12F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tomorrow: Sunny skies. High 39F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tomorrow night: A mostly clear sky. Low 17F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
• Wednesday: Plenty of sun. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the upper 20s.
• Thursday: Chance of showers. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 20s.
• Friday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the upper 20s.

Hi All,

First day of spring!

Hunter was frozen solid this am - bullet-proof until about 11 am when the sun finally started to soften the surface a bit. It was low to mid 20's all night and morning and just recently reached into the mid 30's. Grooming was minimal and you couldn't ski where it wasn't groomed. They will definitely groom the whole mtn tonight for the weekend. Crowds were very minimal too for a Friday. By noon time the top 1/3 was still pretty firm but the lower 2/3 of the mtn started to turn into mush as it was colder on top for a longer period of time. The trails are definitely becoming narrower as the edges recede. Brown snow is prevalent in many areas and bare spots are expanding. No trails have been closed yet for lack of snow but the base is shrinking fast. A mother bear and 2 cubs were spotted this week wandering around Cliff - Hgate and Uppercross - a sure sign of spring. Morning skiing will defintely be hard and fast. http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Tonight: Generally clear. Low around 15F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Plentiful sunshine. High 43F. Winds light and variable.
• Tomorrow night: A few clouds. Low 22F. Winds light and variable.
• Sunday: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High near 45F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
• Monday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the upper teens.
• Tuesday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid teens.

Hi All,

Oh well - what can I say - another bad weather day with rain mixed with some wet snow early and lots of fog. Temps have climbed from 31 to 44 but still very overcast and damp. There reportedly was no grooming last night so skiing today for me was not an option. The mtn is virtually deserted - very few skiers other than some instructors and ski patrol. Tomorrow, the first day of SPRING, looks alot better weather-wise and with colder temps tonight there will be plenty of grooming. This Saturday is the NJ Ski Council's annual memorial race for the late Stan Sharaga, a long time member of the Hunter Courtesy Patrol / Rangers. Sat night is also the annual ski patrol dinner party at O'Neils Public House.

Ski on....

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Overcast. Cooler. High 44F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 20F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: A mainly sunny sky. High 38F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: A mostly clear sky. Low near 15F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
• Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 20s.
• Sunday: Plenty of sun. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 20s.
• Monday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper teens.

Hi All,

It is now 65 in Hunter - need I say more? Light crowd enjoying very slushy soft mogul skiing and lots of sunning on the deck where it is 75+. The quad was running fine today after starting up at 1pm yesterday following maintenance. There is a hot but hazy sun out now but clouds and rain / wind expected to roll in later today (see below forecasts). Pro Keith actually broke/fractured 7 ribs to go along with his facial abrasions and concussion - OUCH! I'll try and get out on the hill tomorrow and let you all know what is happening with the snow, that is, what's left of it. http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Cloudy with a few showers. High 54F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
• Tonight: Rain showers this evening mixing with snow showers overnight. Low 34F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 60%.
• Tomorrow: Rain and snow in the morning. Overcast in the afternoon. Cooler. High near 40F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 60%.
• Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies. Low near 20F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Friday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the upper teens.
• Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 20s.
• Sunday: More sun than clouds. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 20s.

Hi All - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hunter celebrated by shutting down the quad today for maintenance so only "B" and "F" to the top. The temp once again dipped into the 20's overnight but a bright blue sky with strong sun and no wind have brought temps up to 58 already at 12:30. Hunter looked like a ghost town this am. The snow was visibly very soft and mushy with few trails groomed on the front. I was told: Wayout was very noisy to ski with frozen courderoy and a real frozen mess at the bottom - not worth it. Claire's was closed due to ice. Eside was said to be good but not Milky which had little snow on it. Minya wasn't groomed and was a bit rough. The mtn has taken a beating this week from all the warm daytime temps and the anticipated rain on Wed night / Thurs won't help. The mtn has set up the outdoor beer bar on the deck in anticipation of some Irish style drinking today. Hunter announced their $199 mid-week pass for '09-'10 per below notice in its news letter today:

"Start thinking about next year...but don't let this one go! Our Valuepass & ValuePASS+ are on sale now! For just $199, you can ski or ride mid-week (non-holiday) through the rest of this season and all of 2009/10! Upgrade to the ValuePASS+ and get all the same benefits PLUS a 30% discount on weekend & holiday lift tickets!"

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Sunny. High 48F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
• Tonight: Generally clear. Low 28F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy skies early. A few showers developing later in the day. High around 55F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
• Tomorrow night: Cloudy with showers. Low 36F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
• Thursday: Morning showers. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 20s.
• Friday: Sunshine. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the upper teens.
• Saturday: More sun than clouds. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 20s.

Hi All,

Welcome to new members Keith "The Pro" Holmquist and Rob & Lena Armet to my list now totalling 71.

As many of you already know Fri the 13th was not lucky for either Keith or myself. To update you: Keith suffered a concussion, bruised ribs and facial abrasions. I just saw him and he is back in the shop today for a limited time period. I have a badly sprained right thumb (ski pole thumb) & a sore back from a fall on Racer's which will keep me off the slopes for a few days. I also cracked the back of my helmet open - thank God for helmets - and a new one is on order.

The temp dipped into the 20's again last night so this am was granular and frozen granular. There is hazy sun, no wind and temps already up to 55 so the snow is again soft. I, unfortunately, cannot give you first hand trail or grooming reports. The ski patrol has been taken over by Rob "Red" McDivitt with Dave Young again heading up the vollys in the wake of Bob "Hoss" Hostetter's abrupt departure. Welcome back to the group of 40 that spent the week in Aspen. March has been a crazy month already in more ways than one!

This week will be generally mild with the possibility of rain on Wed into Thurs. Happy St. Patty's day for tomorrow to all my Irish friends and those with Irish livers.

Don't forget to check out my blog http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/ and click on "(comments)" which appears in small print under each of my postings to read what others have to say. Particularly interesting is the comment/letter to mgmt by Vic after my March 10 report.

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 44F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tonight: Overcast. Low around 25F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Partly cloudy skies. High 48F. Winds light and variable.
• Tomorrow night: Generally fair. Low 29F. Winds light and variable.
• Wednesday: Occasional showers possible. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the mid 30s.
• Thursday: Rain and snow showers. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low 20s.
• Friday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the upper teens.

Hi Skiers on another Friday the 13th,

Like I predicted, today was a good one with lots of warm sun, no wind and temps well into the upper 30's. Skiing was hard and fast but at least one could see it. Grooming was excellent including Racer's but there was still lots of shaved sugar on ice all over the mtn. The groomers also managed to fill in alot of the fissures and farm some snow around some of the heavy traffic areas where coverage was thin. The surface should be softening up a bit by now under the strong sun. The weekend is still looking goooooood! If you are going out early you better have sharp edges.

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Partly cloudy. High 32F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tonight: Mainly clear skies. Low 19F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High near 45F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 23F. Winds light and variable.
• Sunday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the low 20s.
• Monday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid 20s.
• Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 30s.

Hunter Ski Patrol News: Bob " Hoss" Hostetter resigned this am under pressure and will be replaced by Zeiner as #1 and Red as # 2. No further info available at this time.
Jon

Hi All,

What an ugly day of skiing. It was back to winter.....very cold, windy, cloudy with very flat light at least until noon time when some sun broke through. The temp never got above 28 at the base or 10 at the summit and the wind was steady and strong. Surface conditions were hard and fast with loose frozen granules on top of a frozen granular base i.e. bullet proof! The grooming was as good as it could be considering the frozen mess they had to work with and what wasn't groomed was closed like Racer's. I didn't bother to check out the west side. There is no way it was going to soften up much today and by noon it was all scrapped off by the meager crowd that was there. Snow farming was evident at the quad load and discharge areas. Fortunately, Fri thru Sun still looking good weather-wise for you weekend skiers but you better have sharp edges and wax. I am glad to see that some more of you are checking out the blog site and leaving comments: http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/

You may notice that the old lift chairs on the sun deck received a fresh coat of blue paint and some new padding this week just in time for a spring deck party.

Ski on........

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: A mix of clouds and sun. Much colder. High near 30F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 12F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tomorrow: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High near 35F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: A mostly clear sky. Low 18F. Winds light and variable.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 20s.
• Sunday: Considerable cloudiness. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 20s.
• Monday: More clouds than sun. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low 20s.

Hi All you Hunter skiers,

Happy 92nd b'day Ethel! Skiing was ok today tho soft, heavy, rutted and very slow but not sticky. Hunter was a ghost town today. Temps held overnight at around 34 and the heavy rains and gusty winds died down to a few scattered sprinkles this am. There was no fog today but no sun either. Temp is now up to 58 which was not expected. The snow was too soft to really groom properly and the only trail I noticed corderoy on was Huega/Dropoff which by the way had the best surface conditions - similar to corn snow. The rest of the front of the mtn was heavy snow, a bit granular, with lots of tree debris blown in by the wind from the woods which are now barren of snow. There are lots of fissures, brown snow and spreading bare spots especially on the upper chute entrance to Minya/Eside. There is a big sink hole below Bleeker near the entrance to Ike and major cracks on Gunhill. Skier's right side of Racer's is disappearing fast. Getting to Kennedy from the eside trails behind "B" lift is tricky as the snow is almost gone there. The cut thru on Rt 80 from Whitecloud to Wayout is gone. Wayout was still winter conditions with mostly frozen granular and lots of blue-green patches of soft ice. Claire's was open but very ugly and not one person on it. The quad was running slow at about 60% due wind gusts up top. Everything should freeze tonight and they will have to groom it out for tomorrow or it will not be skiable. Fri thru Sun looks good so far.............Today's tip - Wax your skis!

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Overcast. High 42F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy skies. Low 17F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
• Tomorrow: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 32F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 9F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
• Friday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.
• Saturday: Mainly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low 20s.
• Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low 20s.

Hi All,

Yesterday's rain froze overnight as temps dropped into the 20's and created a dense fog this am. Skiing was rough early - frozen granular with only a minimal amount of trails groomed and very dense fog from the wine deck on up to the top. Where was Marty G in his bright yellow jacket when I needed him to lead the way? It was a damp cold 28 at the summit. The snow didn't soften and visibilty did not improve until 11 am when the fog lifted and some hazy sun came through. The mtn was deserted except for a few die hards and crazies. It is now 42 but cloudy and I am sure that the surface softened considerably. There was alot of snow lost yesterday and many brown / bare spots are spreading fast like the plague. The mtn has announced in its newsletter today that pond skimming is scheduled for Sat April 4 and closing day Sat April 11 (let's see about that!). Sun April 5 the mtn will honor any other mtn's season pass. Heavy cold rain & strong wind due tonight into tomorrow - yech! Tomorrow March 11, Ethel turns 92 - happy b'day.

Ski or rather slush on...!

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Overcast. Slight chance of an afternoon shower. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
• Tonight: A mix of rain and freezing rain...changing to all freezing rain overnight. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 80%.
• Tomorrow: Occasional rain tapering to a few showers late. High 44F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
• Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies. Low 19F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
• Thursday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low teens.
• Friday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.
• Saturday: More sun than clouds. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low 20s.

Hi All,

Heavy rains overnight and into this am combined with some mid-day wet snow left the mtn in a misty fog all day so needless to say yours truly did not venture out on the mtn today. I can tell you there are more brown & bare spots and the runoff from those small streams is substantial. The weather this whole week looks very changeable and will affect conditions hourly but hey............this is March! Hopefully tomorrow will bring a better skiing opportunity.

For those of you sitting in an office, you ain't missin' nuttin today - call it a bottom 5 day.

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Low around 20F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy skies early. A few showers developing later in the day. High 36F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
• Tomorrow night: Cloudy with light freezing rain expected...becoming heavier overnight. Low 28F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 70%.
• Wednesday: A mix of rain and freezing rain in the morning. Rain in the afternoon. High 41F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 80%.
• Thursday: Mix of rain and freezing rain. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 20s.
• Friday: Mostly Cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low teens.

Spring has arrived in a hurry. The temp was 45 overnight and is now 60 (yes 60!) with a warm breeze as the rain dried up before reaching us this am. Rain would have been good as it would have washed the glue out of the recent new snow. The forecasters got it wrong as there is an inversion with much warmer temps on the mtn than down in the valley towns. The sun is out and the snow is melting fast. Skiing was very slow and the snow was sticky like glue so not enjoyable for me today. Many of you have been asking about the closing date and the answer is.......none set yet, as mgmt explained to me, it depends on "economics". They will not run at a loss for even a day. You can bet it will be sometime between April 5 & 12. Remember last year....they unexpectedly closed April 6 without notice / warning until Mon April 7th. Pond skimming most likely the 4th or 5th of April. Milan's Perfect Lift Restaurant will host its annual pig roast / old skis bond fire April11.

Ski on.......

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Cloudy. High 41F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tonight: Cloudy. Low around 30F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 48F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Periods of rain. Low 36F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
• Sunday: Showers. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the mid 20s.
• Monday: Showers possible. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low 20s.
• Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the upper 20s.

Sweeeeet! A carbon copy of yesterday but with higher temps - now about 42 with hot sun, blue sky, no wind and courderoy grooming. Too bad it may come to a screeching halt with a wet system due to arrive late tonight for tomorrow. Skiing was hard and fast early but quickly softened in the sun. Claire's and Apurna were both closed due to ice but Wayout via Whitecloud was sweet. The whole front side was good - no trail better than another. There was a small quad line today - a first for a Thursday, as many played hooky to get in some spring skiing before the rains come. Suntan lotion was a must today on the deck where you could sit in just a T-shirt. Good luck to the 40 of you who are heading to Aspen this weekend with the Jimmy Sturr Travel group. Take a look at the news video of chairlift problems in Snowbird, Utah yesterday.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=12340157&ch=4226713&src=news

Ski on...........

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Sunshine and clouds mixed. Temps nearly steady around 30. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
• Tonight: Cloudy with periods of light freezing rain after midnight. Low 23F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
• Tomorrow: Periods of rain and freezing rain early...then cloudy with a few rain showers in the afternoon. High near 40F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 40%.
• Tomorrow night: Mostly cloudy skies. Low around 30F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Saturday: Occasional showers possible. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid 30s.
• Sunday: Chance of showers. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 30s.
• Monday: Occasional showers possible. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the mid 20s.

Wow ! Another top 5 day with great sun, no clouds, no wind, no people, lots of nice groomed powder and temps into the upper 20's. What else could you ask for? OK, OK a foot of snow would have been nice too..... but hey! The 70+ club race was on Madison today and there were alot of PSIA instructors and wannabees on the slopes mainly standing around in little groups doing nothing as usual. Skiing was effortless and enjoyable on all trails except Claire's which once again was more glare ice than snow. Cliff / Racer's was again my favorite of the day tho not by much over other front side trails. The snow makers were dragging the last of the hoses down the mtn today. The legs gave out and hunger set in before the desire to keep skiing. Tomorrow should be another super sweet day before the nasty weather arrives by Friday. FYI - Hunter has posted the following for this weekend in their newsletter:

Sat, Mar 7
Catskill Mountain Series Skier & Boardercross
Park & Pipe Workshop
Women Only Workshop

Sun, Mar 8
Catskill Mountain Series Halfpipe Finals
Park & Pipe Workshop
Women Only Workshop

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: A mix of clouds and sun. High 23F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tonight: Some passing clouds. Low 4F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow: Mostly sunny skies. High near 30F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Cloudy with periods of light freezing rain later at night. Low 21F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
• Friday: Morning rain/ice mixed. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the upper 20s.
• Saturday: Occasional showers possible. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 30s.
• Sunday: Showers. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 20s.

Brrrrrrr! Bitter cold but very nice powdery surface conditions with brilliant sun after about 6" of dry powder yesterday which only starting to get scraped off late morning. We had some spring skiing in Feb and now we have winter conditions in March. The wind was moderate and stronger on the bottom than the top with temps only reaching 18 at the base by 1 pm and 0 (up from -6) at the summit. Grooming was spotty but the powder was actually better where they didn't groom. Rt. 80 was quite nice but Claire's was more shine than snow and Apurna was closed. On the front, Hgate & Eside were the best trails down to B'way, Ike, Kennedy & Gunhill all of which were nice. I was actually surprised how well the new snow held up considering the wind but the crowds have been very light. It will stay very cold until Fri when some wet stuff is due to move in for the weekend - yech! Once clocks are moved ahead on Sat the Mtn will stay open until 5 pm on Sat's only from March 14 till close and yes Buckwheat, that means the west side will also stay open an hour later. Just a reminder that you can also see my reports and add comments/info on my blog site: http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Sunshine and clouds mixed. Very cold. High 14F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 2F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tomorrow: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 23F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 7F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Thursday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.
• Friday: Showers possible. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
• Saturday: Occasional showers possible. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the mid 20s.

Hi All,

It has been a very strange weather day. As of 8 am we only had about an inch of light snow (schools had a 2 hr delayed opening) but around 9 it started snowing and blowing heavy with an inch an hour and still near blizzard conditions with temps around 18. The roads are currently all white and the wind is drifting the super light snow. Visibility is poor, FYI - I can't see the mtn from my house. Skiing was fun, somewhat tricky but very cold as there were very few people and the new snow / wind kept filling in the earlier tracks which was good because as you all know there is nothing but ice underneath. The most frequented trails were scraped off in the middle so one must stay on the sides to enjoy the powder. The west side was equally as good as the front even tho a bit more windy - as usual. Best snow accumulated on Minya, Eside & Drop-off.

The rest of the week looks to be very cold and windy until Friday which will preserve the base as night time temps drop into single digits. Localmotion # 5 was held today on Madison and I was told the course was extremely icy and alot of racers wiped out. The race party is at White Star. The drawing late yesterday for the free trip for two to Telluride was won by Barbara Schultz after the first 3 names picked were not present to win and the fourth, Jeff Buelich, was disqualified for having gone on a previous trip won by his fiance now his wife - bummer! Tomorrow could be sweet squeaky powder but bitter cold skiing if groomed well.

Ski ya,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Periods of snow. Very cold. High 13F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. 1 to 2 inches of additional snow expected.
• Tonight: Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Wind chills approaching -15F. Low 2F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
• Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy skies. Very cold. Wind chills approaching -15F. High around 15F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 2F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
• Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the upper single digits.
• Thursday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the low 20s.
• Friday: Showers. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the upper 20s.