Hunter skiing 12/22

Well folks, the first full day of winter is anything but.

Yesterday's and last night's rain and warm temps, 50 overnight, took its toll on the mtn. If you like damp cold & dark (no sun) spring skiing then today is for you - not for me - currently 45 with some passing showers. Surface conditions I am told are very soft and forgiving but the terrain is much narrower. See attached photo. On the bright side we are expecting 2 - 5 " of snow tonight per below snow chart from WNYT, Albany. Colder weather is forecast for the weekend.

On a sad note, the old Mountain Brook Restaurant finally succumbed to the ravages of Irene in spite of attempts to save it and was being demolished yesterday and today - see photos.

Movies: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/farm-market-cafe/index.html

Pray for snow,

Jon

Detailed Local Forecast

• Today: Sun and clouds mixed. High near 45F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tonight: Rain showers this evening changing to mixed rain and snow overnight. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of precip 90%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
• Tomorrow: Snow during the morning will give way to mostly cloudy conditions during the afternoon. High 36F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snowfall around one inch.
• Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies. Low near 20F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.
• Sunday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
• Monday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.

Hunter Skiing 12/ 20

Hi All and Happy Hanukah for those who celebrate it.

The morning was not nearly as good as I had predicted yesterday. The high temps of 45 yesterday pm softened the snow and then it dropped to 29 overnight freezing everything. There was no snow making and it was a damp cold this am with limited sun but no wind. There wasn't much the groomers could do with it except make frozen corduroy or marbles, both of which dominated and limited morning skiing. The temp now is only 35 but the sun is coming out so with enough traffic on the slopes the pm should be okay. There was no grooming on Cliff (closed), Ike (closed) or Minya (open but frozen whale humps). Eside was groomed but frozen flat into LowerCross which was all marbles followed by Madison (only way down) which was also all marbles. Cruising past B lift was narrow, frozen and flat. The terrain park was closed.The west had not opened by the time I quit. I did not ski the Belt. The Flyer was running great with no lines. The base for the most part is thin and there are brown patches exposed in many areas subject to windy conditions. The weather is not looking good for tomorrow or near future snow making. Winter officially begins on the 22nd but no one told the snow gods - oh well - it's 5:00 somewhere!

Hoping for better conditions,

Jon

• Today: Sunshine and clouds mixed. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly cloudy skies this evening. A few snow showers developing late. Low 23F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
• Tomorrow: Cloudy with rain and snow showers in the morning changing to all rain in the afternoon. High 42F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
• Tomorrow night: A steady rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. Thunder possible. Low 36F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
• Thursday: More clouds than sun. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 20s.
• Friday: Morning clouds followed by afternoon sun. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
• Saturday: More clouds than sun. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low 20s.

Hunter skiing Dec 19

Hi All,

Finally a day worth going out for the first time.

The good news: snow was made on HBK, Cliff, Wayout, Minya, LowerCross, Ike & Belt - the bad news: only HBK and Belt were open for the morning. Why? I'll tell ya - the temps went crazy last night from 11 to 28 and now 46 and most of the newly coated trails were frozen solid - not groomed - with visible humps, ruts and porcelain. Wayout was groomed (it looked very frozen) but due to very high winds the west side lift could not be opened this am. HBK was however very nice and the few slick spots were easily visible with the brilliant sun. The Belt was very windy and dark for at least the first 1/3 but the surface conditions were quite nice. The Flyer ran well but one was greeted with a wicked wind out of the west at the top. There were no crowds at all and one could ski right onto the lift. No snow can be made with these temps so with good grooming tonight and a softening of the surface, tomorrow could be the best day of the week based on weather forecasts of rain for Late Tues into Wed.

Be skiing ya,

Jon

• Today: Partly cloudy. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph.
• Tonight: A few snow showers around this evening, otherwise mostly cloudy. Low 24F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
• Tomorrow: Partly cloudy skies. High near 30F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
• Tomorrow night: Cloudy skies with a few snow showers later at night. Low 24F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
• Wednesday: Rain mixed with snow. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid 30s.
• Thursday: Considerable cloudiness. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 20s.
• Friday: Mix of rain and snow showers. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s.

Hunter - Sat opening

Following just posted by Hunter:

We will be opening on Saturday!

At this point it is looking like we will use the Kaatskill Flyer to up/download for F-Lift, so we will at the very least be open mid- to summit. If we get some really good temps and make a lot of snow, we will obviously open top to bottom. We will do whatever Mother Nature allows, so things may change between now and Saturday in terms of open terrain. We are *hoping* to have Hellgate-Broadway-Kennedy (otherwise known as HBK or Mainline) top-to-bottom open for Sunday, and the nighttime temps look good.

Hunter weather Dec 7th

Hi to all 100 of you on my list.

Still 41 and raining but the guns will be on full blast tonight 24/7 in addition to an expected 8+" of natural snow tonight.

FINALLY, HERE WE GO!!

Be skiing you soon,

Jon

Movies: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html

Winter Storm Warning
Hazardous Weather Outlook

This Afternoon: Periods of rain. High near 43. North wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tonight: Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 3am. Low around 27. Northwest wind between 8 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 8 to 12 inches possible.

Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 35. Breezy, with a west wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. West wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. Southwest wind between 5 and 9 mph.

Friday Night: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 30.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 13.

Hunter snow making & weather

Hi All,

The guns were on for a few hrs last night lightly covering the upper half of Hellgate and some sections of the Belt. The weather does not appear favorable for full blasting until next Wed. It is 45 now and although nights will be cold the weekend days will continue unseasonably warm with a mix of rain & snow expected Mon -Tues. There will be more spotty snow making over the next few nights. No opening date has been set yet. Consumer demo weekend is still scheduled for Dec 10-11.

The base lodge bar and pizza counter will again open Saturday from 12 - 6 and Van Winkles will have its usual happy hour 4-6.

The west side quad news:

December 1: The load test took place yesterday and went well. The lift is running great and we took our first ride this afternoon. We are in good shape for a mid-December opening of the new lift!

Weekend movies: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html

Ski ya soon,

Jon

Hunter, 23A & weather

Hi All

Happy Thanksgiving!

FYI all of the temporary barriers and traffic lights have been removed and the road is again open to 2-way traffic.

It is raining up here with temps at 40. Friday through at least next Tues expect daytime temps in the 50's so no snowmaking.

The old quad - now the Zephyr Express - will be load tested next week.

Weekend movies: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html

The base lodge main bar and pizza counter will however open this Sat from 1 - 6.

Pray 4 snow!

Jon

Hunter October Snow

Hi All - Check out what we got last night: 3 - 4" with 6 - 9" more for Sat into Sun. You can ski it if you want to walk up. Hopefully we will enjoy an earlier opening than the past two seasons. Photo taken from the old "Club" property.
Ski ya all soon,
Jon

Hunter - west side lift update

HI All,
Fall is arriving tonight by way of temps in the upper 30's after today's rain and a cold front arrives. Should be a beautifull fall-like weekend for the wine & brew fest.

For anyone interested, the heavy lift helicopter arrives tomorrow for setting the newly galvanized lift towers in place on the west side. The towers are stored in the field across Demmings Bridge & #23A (about 3/4 mile west of the turnoff to #296). Best viewing would be from the top of Ford Hill Rd (off of Wright Rd) just across from Demmings Bridge.
FYI - there is still a one way traffic light setup on 23A between Palenville & Haines Falls.
Windham has lifted its boil water alert and some of the restaurants including Millrock, Chicken Run & the Brewery plan to open tonight/tomorrow after a furious and costly restoration.
Won't be long now until we see some of that white stuff - snow I think its called!
Jon

Some details about the new lift:

Drive Type: Poma Detachable Alpha Drive
Slope Length: 3743' (1141m)
Vertical Rise: 1295' (395m)
Average Grade: 36.85%
Rotation: Clockwise
Primary Drive HP: 600
Line Speed: 5m/s
Number of Chairs: 80
Number of Towers: 15
Uphill Capacity: 2,400 p/h
Chair Interval: 6 sec.
Trip Time: 3.81 min.
Old Z lift and Y lift chairs are available for purchase for your back yard, ski house or condo! Chairs are $250 each, to benefit the Hunter Mountain Racing Foundation to support young athletes in Hunter's racing programs. For more information, contact Bruce Transue.

Construction Progress: Photos here

September 8: Progress continues on wiring and mechanical work on the bottom and top mechanisms. The new roof and enclosure are complete on the bottom mechanism. The new 600hp primary drive motor has been installed in the drive unit, and we're almost ready to set the entire 80 ton unit atop the pedestals at the bottom. We have a 200 ton crane scheduled for next week.

August 31: Luckily, the bottom terminal of the lift was undamaged by Irene. Work is continuing on the roof panels for the accel/decel mechanism.

August 18: Top terminal is being backfilled. Once the new roof panels arrive and are installed, the top and bottom terminals will look much more finished. Most tower foundations have been poured and the remaining difficult-to-reach ones will be poured next week via a concrete pumper. Line towers and tower heads and almost finished and are nearly ready for their helicopter ride into place.

July 28: The top terminal is coming together. Most of the support structure has been assembled, and the bullwheel has been dropped into position, but there are still many, many parts that need to be bolted into place. Line tower foundation work continues down the slope.

July 22: Concrete work on the top terminal is complete. Tower foundations are progressing down Westway. All towers are being relocated, since the tower anchor bolt pattern is larger for the new lift - no foundations can be reused. Nearly all galvanizing has been completed and returned to us. The new electric drive motor has been delivered, and work is starting on the drive terminal unit.

July 7: Foundation work on the return terminal is progressing. The final concrete pour for the top terminal is scheduled for Friday, 7/8. After that, it's down from the top to dig the tower footings.

Hurricane Irene Relief Fund

Hi All,
Here is another address for monetary relief donations - please help this town which was the hardest hit of all:

Town of Prattsville Relief Fund
c/o NBT Bank
Grand Gorge, NY 12434

Hunter - West Side Lift Details

Hi All,

FYI: Some details about the new lift and purchase of the old chairs extracted from the Hunter website :

The new lift will be placed on the same center line as Y lift, ascending the left side of the Westway trail. The bottom of the lift will be positioned several hundred feet below the existing Y lift base, and the new unloading station will drop skiers and riders off at the top of all summit terrain.

All lift towers, tower crossarms and structural terminal parts are being trucked to a facility in Connecticut for hot-dip galvanizing. The bottom attach/detach mechanism will be upgraded with tire drives replacing the original chain conveyor for quieter, smoother, more energy efficient operation (the top had already been upgraded). The electric main drive and motor will be new from the factory. These upgrades will render the lift more reliable and more modern than when the lift was new.

Some details about the new lift:

Drive Type: Poma Detachable Alpha Drive
Slope Length: 3743' (1141m)
Vertical Rise: 1295' (395m)
Average Grade: 36.85%
Rotation: clockwise
Line Speed: 5m/s
Number of Chairs: 80
Number of Towers: 15
Uphill Capacity: 2,400 p/h
Chair Interval: 6 sec.
Trip Time: 3.81 min.

Old Z lift and Y lift chairs are available for purchase for your back yard, ski house or condo! Chairs are $250 each, to benefit the Hunter Mountain Racing Foundation to support young athletes in Hunter's racing programs. For more information, contact Bruce Transue.

Construction Progress: Photos here

Have a great summer!

Jon

Hunter 2011-2012 season lockers & passes

Attention everyone:
Even though it has been very well advertised by Hunter in its e-blasts and on its website I want to alert you to the fact that prices for 2011-2012 season lockers and season passes go up substantially after May 1 and again after Oct 15. For prices please go to the the website link www.huntermtn.com and click on "TICKETS & PASSES".
Jon

Hunter April 10

Hi All,
As you may have heard, Hunter has closed for the season after today with coverage and skiing on almost every trail but not enough skiers & riders. Work has already started on placing the quad on the west side. Will keep you updated on the progress. Check out the video (should be posted tomorrow via the Hunter website) from the pond skimming party which by most accounts was the best ever held at the mountain.
Have a great spring & summer.
Jon

Hunter April 6 & 7

Hi All,
Spring is definitely here with temps around 50 and strong sun. If soft wet snow and moguls are for you then you will be in ski heaven. There have been very few skiers these past two days. Yesterday there were lift problems with the Flyer which didn't open until noon and "B" / "F" didn't open until 9:30. "Z" has been closed the past two days although there were a few skiing (poaching) the west side today with a car meeting them at the base for a ride back to the front side. "Z" will open tomorrow and for the weekend. There are some serious bare spots on Ike, Racer's, Cliff, White Cloud, Claire,s and brown snow in many areas but the main line is still well covered. The pond was built today. It's approx 70 ft long and 5 ft deep. Saturday looks to be a very warm and nice day for the deck party. All lift tickets are $25 from now until closing day which is still undecided. Windham closed last Sunday and Belleayre may also close this Sunday.
Movies: The Lincoln Lawyer, Harvest, Limitless. For times: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
I have put the skis away for the season. Next event: TAP NY April 30.
Have a great spring and thanks for all your support throughout the season.
Jon http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/

NWS forecast:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 24. North wind around 6 mph becoming calm.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Saturday: A slight chance of showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Calm wind becoming south between 6 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Southwest wind between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Hunter April 1 (Fools Day)

Hi All,
It seems Mother Nature pulled a big April fools joke on Hunter. After all the dire storm predictions, we got at most, 2" of wet snow that didn't even coat paved surfaces and the temp is already 34 - 35 at 9:15 am - a real non-event!! It is still snowing lightly with no wind and visibility is brightening.
Have a good Friday,
Jon

Today: Snow likely before noon, then rain and snow likely between noon and 2pm, then rain likely after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 38. North wind between 8 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Tonight: Snow showers likely, mainly before 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 27. West wind between 11 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Saturday: A chance of snow showers before 10am, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 10am and noon, then a slight chance of rain showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. West wind between 11 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain and snow showers before 10pm, then a chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind between 9 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 44. Northwest wind between 10 and 17 mph.

Hunter March 30

Hello Hunter fans,
Finally a great spring ski day in spring. Today is what its all about! Fun ego snow, soft, groomed, no clouds, no wind, no crowds and the Flyer running fine. (It had electrical problems yesterday that kept it down for over an hour in the am) The overnight temp dipped to 18 but by 10 am it was 35 and now 45. Heading back out to the sun deck to catch some rare rays. Claire's, White Cloud, Upper K and Apurna all closed but the rest of the mountain was terrific - especially Cliff / Racer's. There are some very thin and bare spots developing in the usual areas but a new storm forecast should well take care of that. Hunter has posted the following and no, it is not my usual April Fools forecast - this is the real deal from Mother Nature folks:

QUOTE:
Ready? 8-14 inches of snow coming FRIDAY! We've got a winter storm watch from Accuweather , and we are gearing up for some serious late spring powder!

That said, we are moving Pondskimming to April 9. So put your wet suit away for another week, and get out your midwinter gear!!
UNQUOTE

Should be real interesting and fun.
Ski ya,
Jon


The NWS forecast below: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Hunter&state=NY&site=ALY&lat=42.2112&lon=-74.2157

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE
FRIDAY NIGHT.

* LOCATIONS...MOST OF EASTERN NEW YORK AND ALL OF ADJACENT WESTERN
NEW ENGLAND.

* HAZARD TYPES...MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL. SNOW MAY MIX WITH
SLEET...FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN IN THE MID HUDSON
VALLEY...NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT AND PORTIONS OF THE BERKSHIRES
THURSDAY NIGHT.

* ACCUMULATIONS...6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW...WITH 8 TO 14 INCHES
POSSIBLE INTO THE HIGHER TERRAIN.

* TIMING...PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE REGION
THURSDAY NIGHT AND BECOME MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES AFTER
MIDNIGHT THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL SLOWLY TAPER
OFF TOWARD SUNSET FRIDAY.

Hunter March 29

Hi all,
Basically a repeat of yesterday however without the sun for most of the day. The light was very flat and the high winds kept the lift from running continuously until close to noon. The sun only came out around 1pm. The temps went from low 20's to 35 now but still very windy. Not a very inviting day to ski.
I hope the forecast is wrong but it looks ugly for the end of the week.
Movies: Barney's Version, Battle: Los Angeles, The Lincoln Lawyer http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
Hunter posted the following today:

We've got big plans on Saturday, starting with our annual Pondskimming & Beach Bash !
Registration starts at 11am and there are only 100 participants accepted so get up there and register!
The competition kicks off at 1pm... there will be lots of prizes, live music and fun!
2010-2011 End of Season Specials
Valid Starting March 28, 2011 through the end of the season
Hunter Mountain is offering lots of late season special deals, not only for our loyal regular customers but also for skiers and riders who call other mountains their home. We'd like you to see just how much snow we have left.

For EVERYONE, we've reduced our ticket prices for the rest of the season! See the chart below.
For our Big Lift Card holders, you'll take your discounts from these lower prices. Plus, you'll get your 50% midweek discount EVERY DAY for the rest of the season, including weekends!
For Season Passholders from other mountains, we understand and appreciate your passion for winter sports. If your home mountain is currently closed, just show your valid 2010-2011 season pass (plus proper ID if it's not a photo pass) and get a 1/2 price ticket EVERY DAY for the rest of the season!


Prices affective March 28, 2011 Midweek Weekend
Adult (ages 18-64) $49 $56
Young Adult (age 13-17) $43 $50
Junior (age 7-12) $31 $38
Senior (65+) $31 $38


Ski ya,
Jon

NWS Forecast:

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. Northwest wind between 7 and 14 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 41. Northwest wind around 6 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. Light north wind.

Thursday: A slight chance of snow before 10am, then a slight chance of rain and snow between 10am and noon, then a slight chance of rain after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday Night: A chance of rain and snow before 11pm, then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 33. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Friday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 45.

Hunter March 28

Hi All,
We seem to be stuck in this weather pattern that keeps the slopes hard, fast and flat. The temps dipped down to about 16 last night and now 34 but very windy all day with bright sun and a cloudless sky. I did not ski today - quite frankly, I am actually bored of it. Vic gave it two thumbs up and Laura D. said there was some corn snow on Minya. I do not believe Claire's, White Cloud or Apurna were open today but everything else was. Crowds were very light as expected. The rest of the week looks to have cold nights and variable days with mixed precipitation. Pond skimming is slated for Saturday weather permitting.
Ski ya,
Jon


Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 15. Northwest wind between 11 and 14 mph.

Tuesday: A slight chance of snow showers before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 36. Northwest wind between 11 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. Northwest wind between 7 and 11 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. North wind between 3 and 6 mph.

Wednesday Night: A chance of rain and snow showers before 9pm, then a chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41.

Thursday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Hunter March 25

Hi All,
Finally a very pleasant day to ski this week. Early lake effect clouds and flurries disappeared by 11:30 and out came the sun. Temps went from mid teens to 34 now. Surface conditions were hard and fast, well groomed and consistent. It was getting scraped off by late morning but also started to soften up a bit. The un-groomed trails were not really an option unless they soften considerably like they did late pm yesterday. "Thin Cover" lolly-pops still dominated the steeper west side trails and White Cloud remained closed. It will be cold but clear this weekend per below forecast. The crowds were light as they were all week. The Flyer was running fine and "F" was running today for the first time this week.
Winter is still here so don't put away those extra layers yet. Movies: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
Ski ya,
Jon

NWS Forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 10. Wind chill values as low as -1. West wind between 7 and 10 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 29. Wind chill values as low as -1. Northwest wind between 9 and 17 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 10. Wind chill values as low as zero. West wind between 7 and 10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 32. West wind between 7 and 13 mph.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 9.

Monday: Sunny and breezy, with a high near 31.

Hunter March 24

Hello Hunter fans,
Dust on crust for the morning! The first inch of wet snow fell when the temp was 33 and then it froze as the temp dropped to 22 followed by 2" of light snow. The light was flat with low cloud cover, some fog on top and there was a damp cold penetrating breeze. First tracks were okay for an hour then it got noisy. One could only ski the groomed trails unless you liked frozen bumps and, for the most part, it was very consistent. Upper & Lower K and White Cloud were closed. Wayout was nice but Claire's, which I did not ski, had blue ice showing through and skier's right below the tower 6 lip was almost bare with numerous lollypops marking it and other sections as "Thin Cover". I spoke to two skiers who tried Apurna and both thought is should have been closed - survival skiing! Temps did finally warm up a bit to 35 now and the sun came out at noon so it looks like the pm skiers will have a decent day as the snow softens a bit. The weekend looks to be unseasonably cold but clear with sun.
Movies: The Adjustment Bureau, The Last Lions, Gnomeo and Juliet. For times: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

NWS Forecast:
This Afternoon: A slight chance of snow showers after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 33. North wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. Northwest wind between 7 and 10 mph.

Friday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 30. Northwest wind between 9 and 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 11. West wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 33. Northwest wind between 7 and 14 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 12.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 30.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 10.

Hunter March 23

Hi Skiers,
Today was a non-event for me. It just didn't make sense to even put on the boots. We had light snow on and off all day with temps at 32 and a light wind but other than partially coat the grass with a white dust, there was no accumulation and nothing stuck to paved surfaces. The top of the mountain was in a snow fog and I can't imagine that skiing was any good today after yesterday's nasty conditions but hey, I have been wrong before. I did not speak with anyone who ventured out today.
The storm forecast is below but unless the temps drop, I can't see any major accumulation other than slush although it would be nice to see the brown tinge on the slopes covered in white. The weekend looks to be nice clear skiing weather.
No movies have been posted yet but that's typical for the CMF.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon


NWS Forecast:
Late Afternoon: Snow. High near 29. East wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Tonight: Snow. Low around 23. Northeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Thursday: Scattered snow showers, mainly before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 36. North wind between 9 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. Northwest wind between 9 and 14 mph.

Friday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. Northwest wind between 10 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday Night: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 7. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 27.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 9.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 30.

Hunter March 22

Hi all,
Worst conditions I have skied all year. Ski patrol told me to say on the groomed trails but even they were treacherous with nothing but broken up ice clumps, cookies and frozen granular / cat tracks. West was closed. The weather also sucked - cold damp breeze, low clouds, poor visibility and temps around 33. Needless to say, even though I waited until late morning, I did not stay out for long and neither did anyone else who had any common sense. There were no good trails. Should have stayed in Sun Valley! The weather does not look good for the rest of the week even with the 3 to 5" of wet snow expected (per RIP97) late tomorrow into Thursday but, hey - this is Hunter in March and anything can happen.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

NWS Hunter Forecast
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. North wind between 6 and 9 mph.

Wednesday: Snow, mainly after noon. High near 30. North wind around 7 mph becoming east. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Wednesday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 22. Northeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Thursday: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. North wind between 9 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of snow showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 14. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 9.

Hunter March 21

Hi All,
Happy first day of spring but you wouldn't know it from today's weather. After a very warm & sunny Sunday afternoon on the deck with spring snow, it was blizzard-like conditions this am with temps around 30, high winds, 2 - 3" wet snow and white out visibility. The roads were slick and there were lots of car accidents in the area. Typical of Hunter in March it is now 37 with spots of sun since 2 pm and most of the snow is gone. I did not ski today nor did I speak with anyone who did so no trail reports. Looks like more typical March variable weather for the coming week.

For those of you who wish to see pics & videos from last week's trip of 24 Hunter skiers to Sun Valley: http://www.facebook.com/barcharlie
Ski ya,
Jon

NWS forecast for Hunter:

Tonight: A slight chance of snow showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. West wind between 5 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday: A slight chance of snow showers before 10am, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 10am and 11am, then a slight chance of rain showers after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. North wind between 14 and 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. North wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Wednesday: Snow likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31. Northeast wind between 3 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Wednesday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday: A chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 33. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Hunter March 10

Hi all,
It is a nasty cold wet day with steady rain and gusty wind since before daybreak. The rain has not stopped at all and the worst is yet to come. Hunter looks like a ghost town and the streams are rising rapidly. Temps are mid to upper 30's. No Flyer at all today, only "B" and "D" visibly running - can't say if "F" or "Z" ever got going. I am sure the surface conditions are soft and easy but, for me at least, not worth getting cold & wet. Following from the National Weather Service:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Hunter&state=NY&site=ALY&lat=42.2112&lon=-74.2157

Weekend movies (probably will be busy this weekend): http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
Ski ya,
Jon

Hunter March 9

Hi All,
Well we didn't get a repeat of yesterday. Today was dominated by clouds, very flat light and a wind out of the east with temps from low 20's to 34 now. It was a damp penetrating cold morning. The surface conditions were very nice since the snow softened up a bit and the grooming once again was excellent. Cliff / Racer's was sweet but visibility was an issue. The east side trails and Hgate greeted you with a stiff wind for most of the way down. I did not head west today so really can't comment on it. The weather will be a major issue for the next few days and local streams could cause some flooding. Ice has been falling off the cliffs on Rt 23A so be careful when driving up the mountain road.
Bring your wet weather gear and prepare for spring conditions.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

NWS Forecast:
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON...
Tonight: Snow, mainly after midnight. Low around 26. Breezy, with a southeast wind between 15 and 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Thursday: Snow before 11am, then rain and snow between 11am and 1pm, then rain after 1pm. High near 38. Southeast wind between 11 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Thursday Night: Rain. Low around 35. Southeast wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Friday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Southeast wind 8 to 10 mph becoming southwest. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night: A slight chance of rain showers before 10pm, then a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. West wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: A slight chance of snow showers before 10am, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 10am and 1pm, then a chance of rain showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Hunter March 8

Hello Hunter fans,
What a day! Great skiing on perfectly groomed fresh natural corduroy powder, brilliant sun, no clouds, no wind and temps from a low of 12 to 39 now (feels like mid 60's on the deck - March T-shirt weather has begun). All main line trails including Racer's were exceptional, as was Wayout. Claire's, which was not groomed, became excellent by late morning as it softened up and had some traffic to break it up a bit. There were a surprising number of people for a Tuesday even taking into account that the East Coast Firefighters race which was postponed from early Feb was held today. The Flyer at times had a minor line but there were not enough customers to justify opening "F" lift. There are full spring conditions in effect now. Tomorrow looks like a repeat of today at least until mid-afternoon.
A note about yesterday: After talking to more people today, putting aside visibility and wind issues, the surface conditions were described as equal to the best of the season on soft granular 4 - 6" cream cheese like snow, especially the entire west side ( Happy now Bruce?).
The mountain is gearing up for some Mardi-Gras activities this weekend.
Weekend movies: Rango, The Other Woman & Unknown http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
The full 7 day NWS forecast is below.
Happy spring skiing, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

NWS Forecast:

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 36. Northeast wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 11. Light and variable wind.

Wednesday: A slight chance of rain and snow after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 36. Calm wind becoming east between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday Night: A slight chance of rain and snow before 7pm, then snow. Low around 23. Southeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday: Snow before 10am, then rain and snow between 10am and noon, then rain after noon. High near 39. Southeast wind between 4 and 7 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Thursday Night: Rain. Low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Friday: Rain, mainly before 1pm. High near 39. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28.

Saturday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 36. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 14.

Hunter March 7

Hi All,
Crazy March weather! After raining all day yesterday it turned to sleet and snow around 6 last night and dumped about 4-6" of heavy crusty sugar on top of about a 1/4" of ice making for a rough start to the day. The Flyer opened around 9:40 and "B" around 10:20 due to de-icing operations. Roads were a mess and schools were closed again. The top of the mtn was colder and dry so there was more of a powdery mix of snow - up to 8" in spots but very windy and cold at 20. The sun broke thru around 2 pm and temps now around 32. I did not venture out but reports were from "just okay" on the front to "very nice" on the west side which opened near 11:30. No steeps were groomed - not even Cliff or Hgate. There was Localmotion # 5 on Madison but I heard there were not alot of racers. The post race party is at Bear Creek. Tomorrow and Wed should be great ski days.
Ski ya,
Jon

NWS Forecast:
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 6. Wind chill values as low as -7. West wind 14 to 17 mph decreasing to between 5 and 8 mph.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 35. Wind chill values as low as -8. North wind around 6 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 13. Light and variable wind.

Wednesday: A chance of rain and snow after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. South wind between 3 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 27. East wind between 7 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday: Snow likely before 10am, then rain and snow likely between 10am and 1pm, then rain likely after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Rain and snow likely, becoming all snow after 10pm. Cloudy, with a low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Hunter March 4

Hi All,
Another very pleasant day to ski adding to an overall sweet week of skiing. Temps stayed in the low 20's last night and now up to 30 with lots of sun. The wind was a bit strong out of the east today so the east-side trails proved a bit tough to reach but sweet once on them and out of the wind. The rest of the mountain was in very good shape thanks to great grooming yet again with granular surface conditions. Wayout via White Cloud was very nice but Claire's, which was open, was un-groomed and looked too slick to attempt - the few people on it were all sliding sideways. Apurna was closed. Saturday am looks like the best bet to ski weather-wise and Sunday looks like wet spring-like conditions will prevail.
Just spoke to Jimmy Wagman who is home & OK (still with some headaches and sore neck muscles) considering his yesterday's concussion. Helmets, helmets, helmets people!! There was a bit more of a crowd today with a minor lift line but "F" was also open which helped.
Have a great weekend!
Ski Ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

NWS Hunter Forecast:

Tonight: A chance of snow, freezing rain, and sleet between 1am and 4am, then a chance of rain, snow, and sleet after 4am. Cloudy, with a low around 28. South wind between 9 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Saturday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. South wind between 9 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Rain likely, mainly after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 38. South wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday: Rain. High near 43. South wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Sunday Night: Snow. Low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Monday: Snow likely, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Hunter March 3

Hi All,
Another great day to ski although cold with temps from 2 to a high of 22 and very little wind. Great sun all day and great grooming again on all main trails. Didn't ski one I didn't like. Surface conditions were granular and frozen granular - hard and fast. Crowds were minimal and the Flyer was running well but no "F" again.

A word of caution to those of you who still refuse to wear helmets: Our good friend and fellow excellent skier Jimmy Wagman was blindly hit by a snowboarder this am on the flats just above the Flyer base. His head hit the hard-pack and he was briefly unconscious but his new helmet cracked instead of his skull and a cat-scan fortunately showed no brain bleeding tho he has quite a headache and whiplash. Had he not worn a helmet he would have been in serious trouble. Feel better my friend!

The weather looks very variable over the next 3 - 4 days so dress and ski accordingly. Movies: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon


NWS Hunter Forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 3. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31. Calm wind becoming south between 12 and 15 mph.

Friday Night: A chance of snow before 1am, then a chance of snow and sleet. Cloudy, with a low around 22. South wind around 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Saturday: A chance of freezing rain and sleet before 10am, then a chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 45. South wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 38. South wind between 14 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Sunday: Rain before 3pm, then rain and snow. High near 39. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Sunday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 17. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Hunter March 2

Hello skiers,
Just a quick note to those of you who are new on the list (95 now), I only ski and report on the morning conditions as they are "generally" better. What happens in the afternoon as you all know is usually totally different as the conditions can change by the hour especially when it is crowded and/or with spring-like weather.

It was a great day to ski today. Grooming was fantastic and consistent on all main line and west side trails (except Apurna which was closed). Cliff/Racer's or Ike were the best frontside runs today but H-B-K, Minya/Lowercross & Eside were also quite nice. Wayout and Claire's were also very nice and UpperTaylors into Claire's was groomed out flat and was easy to ski. There were no crowds at all and "F" was closed again. The temp at the base was mid 30's but on top it was 24 and very gusty, in fact the wind would stand you up straight on the upper section of the Belt or Huega. The sun disappeared around 9:30 and only made spotty appearances until 11 when clouds and flurries took over and in fact it is snowing lightly now as the temp starts to drop. Tomorrow will be full winter conditions again for a day.
The 3 weekend movies: Rango, Another Year & Just Go With It. For times/details click on the link: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
Ski ya soon, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

NWS Hunter forecast:

This Afternoon: Scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Windy, with a west wind around 26 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 1. Wind chill values as low as -12. Breezy, with a northwest wind 18 to 21 mph decreasing to between 8 and 11 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 20. Wind chill values as low as -13. Northwest wind between 8 and 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 7. Light north wind.

Friday: A chance of snow, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 32. South wind between 5 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 34. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Sunday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 40. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Hunter March 1

Hi All,
Wow - March already! After a day of heavy wind driven rain ( a condition which Hunter's yesterday's snow report referred to as "balmy" - ha!) and temps in the 40's (the Flyer never opened before noontime if at all) it was a very pleasant day to ski mainly due to brilliant sun, light wind and consistent frozen corduroy grooming. It was hard and fast with great visibility. The surface was getting scrapped off before it had a chance to soften up. It was in the teens this am and only 6 on top but now 31. The west "Z" had not opened by 11:30 so I imagine it must have been a sheet of ice. All front side trails (Cliff, Racer's, Hgate, Kennedy, Minya, Eside, LowerCross, Gunhill) were good with the exception of Ike which seemed to have more frozen cat-tracks and ruts than the rest. Crowds were very light and there was no "F" today. Based on the below forecast it should be an interesting weather week.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon


NWS 7 day forecast for Hunter:

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 31. West wind around 10 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 20. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Wednesday: A chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 31. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 14 mph becoming west between 20 and 23 mph. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 1. Wind chill values as low as -11. Northwest wind 15 to 18 mph decreasing to between 7 and 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 19. North wind between 8 and 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 5.

Friday: A chance of snow after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Sunday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Hunter skiing Feb 24

Hi All,
Another very pleasant somewhat balmy day to ski. Temps went from 6 this am to 37 now, no wind, hazy sun and great ski conditions for a surprisingly light holiday crowd. The weather will turn nasty for tomorrow as the NWS out of Albany has issued a flood watch for Friday. Saturday however looks like the better of the two weekend days for skiing. Weekend movies - same as last weekend: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html By the way, The King's Speech is a great factual & historical movie with a British sense of humor - not to be missed.
Dress for the weather!
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

Detailed Local ForecastToday: Scattered flurries and snow showers. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%. Tonight: Cloudy with scattered snow showers and flurries becoming a steady accumulating snow later. Low 28F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Snow accumulating 3 to 5 inches. Tomorrow: A mixture of wintry precipitation in the morning will change to rain and snow showers mixed in the afternoon. High around 35F. ESE winds shifting to W at 10 to 20 mph. 2 to 4 inches of snow expected. Tomorrow night: A few clouds. Low 7F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Saturday: More clouds than sun. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the upper teens. Sunday: Chance of a few snow showers. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s. Monday: Rain/snow mix, windy. Highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid 20s.

Hunter Feb 23

Hi All,
What a great holiday week of skiing! Today was a top 5 day of the season with a cloudless sky, no wind and temps that climbed quickly from a low of -1 to 36 now. Lots of snow was made last night on the west side and on Racer's (great job Bruce) and the grooming including Apurna was nothing less than spectacular (thanks Skip). GM reported that all trails were in great shape and that everyone on the slopes today was having a great time. Crowds were very light and there were no lines to speak of at the Flyer or at "F" and "D" which were also running. Claire's was the trail of the day by all accounts followed closely by Racer's.
The weather could get a bit messy later in the week per below but the mountain is anyway in great shape for for spring skiing.
Come enjoy it - ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon


NWS Forecast:
This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 32. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 6. Calm wind.

Thursday: A chance of rain after 1pm, mixing with snow after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 39. Wind chill values as low as -1. South wind between 3 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Thursday Night: A chance of snow before 1am, then snow and sleet likely. Cloudy, with a low around 26. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming west. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday: Freezing rain and sleet before 1pm, then snow likely. High near 34. North wind between 6 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday Night: A chance of snow showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday: Partly sunny and breezy, with a high near 30.

Saturday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Hunter Feb 18

Hi all,
Hunter has changed the fireworks date to Sunday - see below quote.
Too warm (52) for me to ski today as do not like mashed potato conditions but already a sizable crowd gathering for spring conditions in advance of the holiday weekend. There is a high wind advisory out for midnight tonight until midnight Saturday.
Ski ya,
Jon

Presidents' Weekend Activities
On Presidents' Weekend, Hunter Mountain is the place to be! Everyone knows our Apres Ski Bar Parties are epic... each and every weekend and are suitable for adults and families of all ages. On Saturday, we have TWO BANDS for your listening (and dancing) pleasure... Third Rail, one of our most-loved bands starts at 4pm and will be cranking out your favorite tunes by the Main Bar, and Albany's Good for the Soul will be rockin' the Coppertree. Both bands play 4-7pm.

Also on Saturday is another one of our free terrain park contests. Our Capita Hip Session is a fun competition to test your skills in the park. You gotta be in it to win it! Registration is from 9am-11am at the Yurt, and practice is from 12-1pm. The event kicks off at 2pm.

Then on Sunday, we'll light up the sky again at 7pm with a grand fireworks show.

Remember... the base lodge is BYOF (bring your own food) friendly after 4pm both Saturday and Sunday nights. That's right - we encourage you to bring a dish or two and set up your own party inside the base lodge and dance the night away. The Sushi Hunter sushi bar and Santini's Pizza will be open all night long too. **But please note that no outside alcohol is allowed within the base lodge.**



Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Overcast with showers at times. High around 45F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Tonight: Windy with partly cloudy skies. Low 23F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph.
Tomorrow: Windy. Snow flurries and a few snow showers throughout the day. High near 25F. Winds WNW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of snow 30%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies with gusty winds. Low 11F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph.
Sunday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.
Monday: Chance of a few snow showers. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low teens.
Tuesday: Clouds giving way to sun . Highs in the upper teens and lows in the mid single digits.

Hunter Feb 17

Hi All,
Spring is here for another day or two. Now 54 up from 30 this am with a high cloud cover and light breeze. Skiing was good early on the front side and later am on the west before it all turned to sticky slush by noon - thanks again GM. Even fresh wax for warm snow was of no help. Crowds again were very light. The ice around here is finally melting in this heat wave.
The following was posted by Hunter for Saturday:
Third Rail, one of our most-loved bands starts at 4pm and will be cranking out your favorite tunes.

We'll light up the sky again at 7pm with a grand fireworks show.

Remember... the base lodge is BYOF (bring your own food) friendly after 4pm. That's right - we encourage you to bring a dish or two and set up your own party inside the base lodge and dance the night away. The Sushi Hunter sushi bar and Santini's Pizza will be open all night long too. **But please note that no outside alcohol is allowed within the base lodge.**

I heard that forecast high winds on Saturday pm could cause the fireworks to be postponed until Sunday. Should be a good crowd here for the next week so wear your flak jackets - ha!
Movies: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Partly cloudy. High 58F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Rain and snow showers mixed late. Low 32F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
Tomorrow: Rain and snow showers in the morning. The rain and snow will change to rain showers in the afternoon. High 48F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 24F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.
Saturday: Windy with a mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the low teens.
Sunday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.
Monday: Snow showers possible. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the low single digits.

Hunter Feb 16

Hi All,
What a difference a day makes! Lots of new snow blown last night and yesterday - some left ungroomed on Eside but most groomed like on Minya, H-B-K, Cliff /Racer's. In general skiing was very nice. There were patches of groomed powder and loose granular so consistency was a bit of a problem but visibility was excellent. Claire's was groomed top to bottom with nice loose granular as was Wayout. UpperK also nicely groomed with LowerK starting to soften up by noon-time. Thanks GM. The crowds were very light but F was also running today. The temps went from a low of 9 this am to 42 now with lots of early sun. It is cloudy now and we may get some wet stuff within the hour according to the radar picture. Claire's is getting a full grooming again tonight. Fireworks again this Sat nite for President's weekend.
Hunter weekend movies: The King's Speech, Looking for Palladin, Black Swan. Go to: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html for times.
Prepare for spring-like variable conditions over the weekend and into next week.
Ski ya,
Jon

Here is the NWS extended forecast for Hunter:

Late Afternoon: A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Southwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. West wind around 6 mph.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. West wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Southwest wind between 5 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. West wind between 7 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday Night: A slight chance of rain showers before 9pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 9pm and midnight, then a slight chance of snow showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a low around 25. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: Partly sunny and windy, with a high near 26.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy and breezy, with a low around 13.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 25.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9.

Washington's Birthday: A chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 25. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday: A chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 28. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 10.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 24.

Hunter Feb 15

Hi all you Hunter fans,
It went from from spring to winter in 24 hrs! Coooold was the word of the day! 8 at the summit, 10 at the base with very high winds but a cloudless cobalt blue sky with lots of sun. The temp is now at its high of 20. The snow guns were on last night and during the day coating the main line, Racer's & Cliff which was a welcome relief from the frozen granular conditions. Skiing was inconsistent with some fresh powder and frozen crud & corduroy to deal with but overall good (not great) due to excellent visibility. No one trail was consistent from top to bottom so one had to ski with caution. Z did finally open yesterday after 1 pm and opened late again this am but the wind was so fierce it didn't make sense (to me) to venture over there. Empty chairs were banging against the lift towers during strong gusts. F was closed but the Flyer ran fine today. The temperature will be in the single digits again tonight before a warming trend begins tomorrow but the high winds will continue.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

NWS forecast for Hunter:
This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 21. Northwest wind between 11 and 14 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 3. West wind between 3 and 7 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Wind chill values as low as -4. Southwest wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31. West wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. West wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 34. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 49. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday Night: A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a low around 20. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Hunter Feb 14

Hello to all and a happy Valentines Day!
Spring is here - at least for a day - and it tasted sweet (no pun intended). Temps in the mid 40's and soft ego snow with bright sun. The winds however were very strong preventing Z or F from opening today so no west side skiing (which is not to say it won't open later this pm if the winds die down but unlikely). The entire front side was well groomed last night and Cliff /Racer's was again the pick of the day but the rest was all a close second. There were no bad trails today. The snow stayed somewhat firm until about 11 am when it really softened up and became very sticky / grabby. It was a nice day to have lunch outside on the deck. Clouds seem to be rolling in now and it should all freeze up tonight and stay cold tomorrow until Wed when another warming trend begins. Localmotion Race # 4 of 6 was held today at Hunter One Highlands trail and the post race party is at MacGregor's. The new marketing director, Gerry Tschinkel, was introduced to the managers this am on this his first day. He is the ex VP of Sitour USA. Welcome and good luck Gerry!
Yesterday was Orville's 94th B'day.
A note for my old patrol friends: TM (AKA Dirtbag) is skiing here today and tomorrow - gotta be 10 years or more!
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

From the NWS:
Wind Advisory
Hazardous Weather Outlook


This Afternoon: A chance of rain showers, mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a west wind around 21 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: A chance of snow showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 8. Wind chill values as low as -9. Blustery, with a northwest wind between 18 and 24 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -11. Blustery, with a northwest wind between 13 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 6. West wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. Southwest wind between 6 and 11 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44.

Hunter Feb 11

Hi Skiers,
I usually don't report on Fridays but I must say that today was exceptional due to the fact that the mountain unexpectedly blew alot of nice new powder last night (thanks Bruce!) on the main line, Cliff, Racer's, Belt, Huega and Claire's (tho Claire's had some ice issues that were marked off) which made for some very sweet skiing for the 4th day in a row. The sun was strong and the sky a deep blue until high clouds began rolling in after noon time. The temp went from -4 early this am to 24 now and wind was not a factor. Pro Keith's trail of the day (and I concur) was Cliff/ Racer's with a close second going to H-B-K. There was a fairly good size crowd for a Friday but with both F and D lifts running the Flyer line was kept to a minimum. Snow showers are expected over the weekend but no measurable accumulation is expected but hey, this is Hunter and anything can happen. Have a great weekend!
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: A mix of clouds and sun. High 21F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy skies during the evening. Snow flurries developing late. Low 11F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow: Snow showers. High 29F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies. Low 14F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Sunday: Snow showers. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
Monday: Snow showers possible. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low teens.
Tuesday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low teens.

Hunter Skiing Feb 10

Hello Hunter skiers,
We hit the trifecta today - 3 good ones in a row and counting! Skiing was very sweet on a hard & fast well groomed surface. The sun was strong until around 10:30 then it played around with us by peeking in and out of the clouds. It was a bitter cold day however with a steady light wind - felt colder than yesterday as temps stayed in the mid teens with single digits on top. It was a day for fast wide-turn effortless GS skiing on ego snow. The crowd was light again (ski right onto the lift) but tomorrow Hunter is hosting 500 people from Google (East Coast) who will convene in Colonels Hall for a ski and conference day. Grooming was exceptional again on the entire mountain (thanks Skip) including Claire's (as good as it gets) and UpperK27. Apurna was closed again. Cliff / Racer's, H-B-K and the entire front side was perfect. Tomorrow looks to be a 4-peat day for a great week of cold weather skiing.
Happy birthday to the twins - Ken & Rob Calijone!!
Ski ya - bundle up! http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Sun and clouds mixed. High near 15F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight: Clear to partly cloudy. Low -1F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow: Sunshine and some clouds. High 21F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies early, then some snow showers later at night. Low 12F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
Saturday: Morning snow showers. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the mid teens.
Sunday: Snow showers possible. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
Monday: Snow showers at times. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.

Hunter Feb 9

Hello Hunter fans,
Two good days in a row! Brrrrrr was it cold - down to 1 early and up to a high of 24 but that wind was fierce today with wind chills below zero. We had nice sun until 11 am when high clouds moved in and the light went flat. The grooming was exceptional and the skiing was sweet, fast and effortless on consistent corduroy ego snow. Everything was groomed except Claire's (only for the crazies), Apurna (closed) and K27. The top of the mountain was pretty well polished by the wind which would stand you straight up trying to get down the Belt or White Cloud to Wayout. The ride up Z was coooold! There were not enough people to justify opening "F" lift and the Flyer was running a bit of stop or slow and go due to the winds. Cliff / Racer's as well as Hellgate to any other lower trail was great. The Eside trails were also all very nice. It will stay cold for the rest of the week.
Weekend movies link: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
Hope to ski ya'll soon,
Jon http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/


Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Snow flurries or snow showers. High 18F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight: On and off snow flurries are possible along with variably cloudy skies. Low 6F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow: Snow flurries early. Then partly cloudy in the afternoon. Cold. High 14F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow night: A few clouds from time to time. Low -2F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the low teens.
Saturday: Cloudy with occasional flurries. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the low teens.
Sunday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.

Hunter Skiing Feb 8

Hello Skiers,
Mother nature gave us a bonus day. We had 4" of fresh dry powder on very well groomed slopes today. That fact, combined with a very light crowd, made for freshies late into the morning if you knew where to find the untracked snow. The overnight temp was 32 but now 20 with steady high winds and even higher gusts over 40 mph. It was still snowing and overcast when the mountain opened but soon cleared up and by 10 the sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds. Skiing was very sweet on all front side and west side trails. The only problem was the wind at the top and it stood you up on Huega & White Cloud which were partially polished. Wayout, Claire's and Apurna were all in decent shape once you got below the wind zone. H-B-K was excellent as was Racer's, Ike, & Gunhill. The only two slopes that I felt / heard that crunchy noise was on the Cliff & Eside drive. Man, it feels good to be back on skis!
Looks like we are going into the deep freeze tonight thru Friday per the below forecast which means good winter conditions.
Follow this link for the weekend movies which are too numerous to list here: http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Occasional snow showers. Quite windy. High 19F. Winds WNW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy skies with gusty winds. Wind chills may approach -15F. Low -1F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy skies. Wind chills may approach -15F. High 19F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.
Tomorrow night: A few clouds from time to time. Low near 5F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low teens and lows 2 to -2F.
Friday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the low teens.
Saturday: Cloudy with flurries. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the upper single digits.

Hunter Monday Feb 7

Hi All,
Sorry but I did not ski today and didn't speak to anyone who did so no trail reports. The weather today was cold, damp and overcast with flat light although it has warmed up a bit to 35. Most everything is still frozen up here and I can only imagine that the surface conditions were hard frozen granular and skiing outside of where they groomed was not an option. The parking lot was pretty empty. There was a chef's race today and the dinner will be at Chateau Bellevue. It looks like we may get some snow tonight (2 - 4") and maybe some freshies for the morning skiing per below forecast.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Scattered flurries and snow showers. High 29F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
Tonight: Snow showers early will become steadier snow overnight. Low around 25F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 2 to 4 inches of snow expected.
Tomorrow: Windy. Snow during the morning will diminish to a few flurries during the afternoon. Morning high of 26F with temps falling to near 15F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies with gusty winds. Wind chills may approach -10F. Low 1F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper teens and lows in the low single digits.
Thursday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid teens and lows 0 to -4F.
Friday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the mid single digits.

Hunter Feb 4 and powder alert for Saturday

Hi All,
Just wanted to pass on the NWS weekend forecast which includes snow. It is a beautiful sunny day today with no wind and temps that climbed from -3 to 26.
Ski ya,
Jon

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 13. West wind between 7 and 10 mph.

Saturday: Snow. High near 29. Southwest wind between 5 and 8 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Saturday Night: Snow and sleet likely, possibly mixed with freezing rain, becoming all snow after 10pm, then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Northwest wind between 5 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 31. West wind between 8 and 11 mph becoming calm.

Sunday Night: A slight chance of snow after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday: A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 30. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Hunter skiing Feb 3

Hi All,
Last night we had some rain followed by an inch or two of fresh snow as temps dropped to 15. The groomers (great job Skip!) I am told did an exceptional job on almost the entire mountain (Apurna the exception which will be done tonight). The day started out overcast with flurries but the sun came out strong and the temp warmed up to about 23 which made for great visibility. Skiing as reported by GM was very nice, consistent and very edgeable thanks to the groomers getting deep into the previous crust. Thanks GM for your help this week. Crowds were light as usual for a Thursday. NBC News NY will be filming around the mountain tomorrow for a special they are doing on the mountaintop community. I will try and get some more details on this for you. The skiing should be nice tomorrow with sun but dress for the cold as it may be a bit windy. The weekend is looking better than it did earlier in the week.
Hunter has hired a new marketing manager from the outside by the name of Jerry Schinkel(sp?) to start on Feb 14, Valentine's day.
See my Tues report for the movies.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon
GO STEELERS! (Bruce will be biting his nails in his man cave)


Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 19F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight: Clear to partly cloudy. Low -2F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow: Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High near 25F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies in the evening, then becoming cloudy overnight. Low 13F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Light snow. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the upper teens.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the mid teens.
Monday: Cloudy, some light snow. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.

Hunter skiing Feb 2

Hi All,
The groundhog didn't see his shadow today which was no surprise to anyone. The storm brought us heavy wet sleet for about 4 hrs this am and compressed the nice powder snow (not damp powder as mistakenly reported) from yesterday into a very heavy slushy & sugary mix. I can tell you that trying to shovel it was like lifting buckets of sludge. Ski reports from a number of people were not favorable today as conditions were described as very variable, granular, heavy, windswept and slick in many spots although some of the groomed slopes were reported to be good. The top of the mountain was in a misty fog and goggles kept fogging up and getting wet from a mix of rain and sleet. Temps went from 27 to about 37 now. The sun did pop out for a short while and tease us but clouds came back in for what may be another round of mixed precipitation. With good grooming tonight, Thursday could be a very nice day to ski. It looks like we will be in the deep freeze tomorrow night. The roads were well cleared by mid-morning and the snow banks are quite high. Come out and enjoy some classic winter skiing / riding.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Periods of light wintry precipitation. High 24F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
Tonight: Snow showers. Low near 10F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 19F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow night: A mostly clear sky. Low -1F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: More sun than clouds. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low teens.
Saturday: Snow. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the upper teens.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 20s and lows in the upper teens.

Hunter skiing & weather Feb 1

Hi Snow-lovers,
Mother nature gave us 4 to 5" of fresh powder (tho a bit damp) from early this am until about an hour ago. GM reported freshies on well groomed trails including Claire's & Apurna. Racer's was however a bit wind blown and scratchy as was the Cliff but the balance of the face was excellent. The snow was falling very heavily at times impairing visibility but speed was not a real option today. The temp was around 17 earlier but now 22 and it feels damp. There were no power outages yet that I know of. The crowd was very light and only a handful of chairs were full when the mountain opened. The FDNY races were held but the snow caused the East Coast Firefighters race to be postponed and re-scheduled for March 8th. Much more snow is expected overnight and thru the day tomorrow and I only hope we are north of the rain / sleet line otherwise all this nice snow will be compressed into "you know what" - see below forecast. Roads are still being cleared and all area schools were closed today and most likely tomorrow too.

The Groundhog will be lucky to dig out of his hole let alone see his shadow tomorrow!
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

Movies:
The Green Hornet

Friday, February 4 | 7:00pm
Saturday, February 5 | 4:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday, February 6 | 2:00pm, 4:00pm, 7:00pm

All Good Things

Friday, February 4 | 7:15pm
Saturday, February 5 | 4:15pm, 7:15pm
Sunday, February 6 | 2:15pm, 4:15pm, 7:15pm

The Dilemma

Friday, February 4 | 7:30pm
Saturday, February 5 | 4:30pm, 7:30pm
Sunday, February 6 | 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 7:30pm

NWS forecast:

This Afternoon...Snow with patchy freezing drizzle. Snow accumulation up to an inch. Cold with highs in the lower 20s. East winds around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

Tonight...Snow likely with patchy freezing drizzle in the evening... Then snow after midnight. Additional snow accumulation of 3 to 6 inches. Lows around 15. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 90 percent.

Wednesday...Snow with sleet likely. Additional snow and sleet accumulation of 3 to 6 inches. Cold with highs in the lower 20s. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

Wednesday Night...Snow likely in the evening...then scattered snow showers after midnight. Additional light snow accumulation possible. Cold with lows around 6 above. Southeast winds around 5 mph... Increasing to north 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Chance of snow 60 percent.

Thursday...Mostly cloudy in the morning...then becoming partly sunny. Cold with highs around 20. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night And Friday...Mostly clear. Cold. Lows around zero. Highs in the mid 20s.

Friday Night...Partly cloudy. Cold with lows around zero.

Saturday...Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Highs in the upper 20s.

Saturday Night...Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Lows around 10 above.

Sunday And Sunday Night...Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 20s. Lows around 10 above.

Hunter skiing & weather Jan 31

Hi All,
Brilliant sun and cold temps dominated this last day of Jan. Temps were 10 earlier but now 18 with no wind. GM said skiing was excellent with groomed corduroy on packed powder for most front side trails. Claire's was not groomed. Regarding the rumors that many of you asked me about, that snow making is done for the season, the truth is that only patch-work snow making will be done as needed but no full blasting anymore.
The hosers start filtering in here tomorrow for their annual races this week so that should liven things up a bit. The crowds today were minimal.
College races are scheduled for this weekend but not sure where the trail closures will be.
The forecasts are for two converging storms: One beginning tomorrow am that could bring 5 -8" and another on Wed with accumulations still being debated among the weather stations as posted below. It could also bring some wet mix with it but hope not.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon


From WNYT Albany:
A Winter Storm WATCH is posted from Tuesday Morning through Wednesday Evening. On Tuesday, the snow will arrive in time for the morning commute. Many of us will see 3" to 5" inches of snow - EXCEPT, we could see up to 8" across some locations in the Catskills and the Southern Adirondacks - before the precipitation lightens or diminishes for a bit Tuesday evening.

There's more snow to come after Midnight Tuesday night and through the day on Wednesday. It'll remain all snow across the Adirondacks into Central Vermont - in fact, it'll be a heavy wet snow . However, we could see the snow mix with or change to sleet / freezing rain from the Mohawk Valley, the Capital District into the Northern Berkshires points south.

This storm still has the potential to bring some hefty & lofty snow accumulations from the Adirondacks into Central Vermont. We'll be tracking it hour by hour and keep you posted on NewsChannel 13 as well as right here at wnyt.com.

From Weather.com:

Detailed Local Forecast
Today: Sun and clouds mixed. High 16F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Cloudy skies with late-night snow showers. Low 2F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 50%. Snowfall around one inch.
Tomorrow: Snow showers early will become steadier snow in the afternoon. High around 20F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 5 to 8 inches of snow expected.
Tomorrow night: Some snow showers around early. Then a wintry mix expected late. Some icing possible. Low near 15F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Some snow accumulation possible.
Wednesday: Periods of heavy snow. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the upper single digits.
Thursday: Considerable cloudiness. Highs in the upper teens and lows in the low single digits.

Hunter skiing & weather Jan 27

Hi All,
We only received a dusting to an inch of snow - maybe 2" on top of the mtn. Today was mostly overcast with flat light although the sun did peek through for a few moments this am. The temp held steady at 27 and there was a slight breeze with some stronger gusts and a few flurries earlier. It is a damp cool day. The skiing I was told was excellent (thanks GM) on a very well groomed consistent edgeable base. Snow making has commenced on the steep slopes. It doesn't look like much sun for the weekend and temps will remain in the low 20's during the day per below forecast. The police racers wind it up today, freestyle competition begins on Saturday and the firemen are here next week. I still can't get my foot in a ski boot so until then........
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon


NWS Forecast: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Hunter&state=NY&site=ALY&lat=42.2112&lon=-74.2157
This Afternoon: Scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26. West wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tonight: Scattered snow showers, mainly before 7pm. Cloudy, with a low around 12. West wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Friday: A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 27. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Friday Night: A slight chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 15. Light west wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 26. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday Night: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 7. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 20.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around -1.

Hunter skiing & weather Jan 26

Hello snow diggers,
Looks like you will be getting alot more snow down state than we will have here - see below NWS forecast.
I was told that skiing was better today than yesterday with more consistent corduroy grooming although the light was somewhat flat due to cloud cover. Temps held steady at around 28 with a slight breeze. Lifts were fine and there were no crowds even tho the Police Races are being held today and tomorrow - heard only about 52 signed up as this event seems to be dying. The Fireman Races will be held the middle of next week. Snow making will commence tomorrow morning on all the steep slopes (Lower K, Upper Cross, Claire's etc.) in time for the weekend. Half of Ike has been roped off for a mogul course that is being built for freestyle skiers this weekend.
Ski ya soon I hope..... http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon

Weekend movies:

No Strings Attached

Friday, January 28 | 7:00pm
Saturday, January 29 | 4:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday, January 30 | 2:00pm, 4:00pm, 7:00pm

Made in Dagenham

Friday, January 28 | 7:15pm
Saturday, January 29 | 4:15pm, 7:15pm
Sunday, January 30 | 2:15pm, 4:15pm, 7:15pm

Fair Game

Friday, January 28 | 7:30pm
Saturday, January 29 | 4:30pm, 7:30pm
Sunday, January 30 | 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 7:30pm

NWS Forecast:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Hunter&state=NY&site=ALY&lat=42.2112&lon=-74.2157
This Afternoon: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 32. Light east wind. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tonight: A chance of snow, mainly before 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 19. North wind between 5 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 27. West wind between 7 and 13 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9. West wind between 3 and 6 mph.

Friday: A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 27. East wind around 6 mph becoming west. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Friday Night: A slight chance of snow showers before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 8. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 24. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 6.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 18.

Hunter skiing & weather Jan 25

Hi All,
We had 2 -3" light dry snow overnight as temps climbed from 2 to 31 now. It was sunny early but soon gave way to clouds with only a few bright spots and the wind just picking up a bit now. Skiing I was told was sweet early with freshies on a well groomed surface. Snow making which was ongoing last night is now suspended. I have no specific trail reports although I heard the Belt was very slick on the upper levels. The weather predictions are all over the place but it looks like the big storm that was to develop from the south is heading out to sea with only a dusting for Hunter.
Ski ya, http://hunterskiscene.blogspot.com/
Jon



From the NWS: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Hunter&state=NY&site=ALY&lat=42.2112&lon=-74.2157
This Afternoon: A slight chance of light snow before 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28. West wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Light west wind.

Wednesday: A chance of snow after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Wednesday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 17. North wind between 5 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 27. North wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 8.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 24.