Hunter skiing and weather for 12/6

Hi to all 90 of you on my direct email list.
Winter is here with a vengeance. Very cold, very windy and very snowy. The high temp today only 24 with steady winds at 15-20 and gusts to 35 mph. It has been snowing and flurrying all day with about 2" of dry powder blowing all over the place. There is no sun with very flat and often poor visibility. Sanders & salters are out on the roads. I did not venture out yet but Sunday was opening day with, as expected, too many people for just H-B-K. Hgate was very slick, Midstation had decent powder and Kennedy was, for the most part, survival skiing - as was told to me by many who tried it out. Guns and wind were blasting all day. The new lift broke down around 3pm and the mtn was shut at 3:30. Today the 6-pack didn't get going until around noon time. B was opened late and F even later am - vouchers were issued to ticket buyers. I didn't speak with anyone who went out on the hill today - it has been a nasty weather day in addition to the lift problems - broken switch somewhere. Snowmaking continues 24/7 as the temps are perfect for that and skiing should improve with each day as more terrain opens up. Belt, Ike, Minya & Eside are under heavy snowmaking as are parts of Hunter One and the B-lift trails.

I rode the new lift round-trip on Saturday and can tell you it is fast (running at 900 ft per minute out of a possible 1000 ft/min) smooth and quiet. It takes about 5 1/2 mins to the top running counter-clockwise. The lift path has been cut wider to accommodate the a much wider lift. The new gate system is staggered and quick - less than 2 secs to get through and you have to really pay attention. They plan to set up lift lines as follows: two lines for 3's, one for 4's and two single lines. The off ramp is elevated and you slide down it toward the summit lodge.

The food menu in the cafeteria has been re-vamped to include alot more healthier options and the entrance & cashier areas too have been streamlined. Yes, the prices are higher too and credit cards are now accepted at the main bar. There has been no selection / induction plans yet for the Wall of Fame.

The weather for the bitter cold week ahead is below as usual. http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
If you have any questions or issues please let me know and I'll try and get answers.
Ski and ride safely,
Jon


Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Blustery with snow showers. High 24F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
Tonight: Occasional snow showers. Low 19F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
Tomorrow: Windy with snow showers early becoming more scattered later. High near 25F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
Tomorrow night: Intermittent snow showers, especially early. Low 16F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%.
Wednesday: Snow showers at times. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low teens.
Thursday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the mid teens.
Friday: Snow showers. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.