Hunter openinng day news

Hi All,

Here is the Hunter press release:

 

opening daY

Yesterday was an exciting day on the mountain! We happily welcomed 10" of natural snowfall (a few more inches falling this morning!) in addition to 20 brand new snow guns! Our Snowmaking Team made its mark on the mountain early yesterday morning and is still making snow on Hellgate, The Cliff, Kennedy, Fifth Ave, The Battery, Seventh Ave, 42nd Street, Central Park North and Grammercy Park. Our plan is to move onto additional trails as temperatures permit, which look promising through early Wednesday morning.

We're thankful that Mother Nature is doing her job this Thanksgiving week, and we're pleased to announce we plan to open this Friday, November 25th at 9am! We expect to have details regarding available terrain in the coming days - stay tuned by checking our snow report and social media pages, and subscribe to our Daily Snow Report emails.

Happy Thanksgiving and happy trails,

Jon  

 

 

Hunter snow guns are on!

Hi All,

Pleased to advise Hellgate is already covered with that white stuff down through Kennedy. Hunter would like to be open for Thanksgiving if not sooner.

Night time temps will be below freezing for the next week although daytime temps will be in the upper 40’s to low 50’s.

Check out the web cams:  http://www.huntermtn.com/winter/webcams/?__utma=96942214.808046579.1416251727.1416251727.1416251727.1&__utmb=96942214.1.10.1416251727&__utmc=96942214&__utmx=-&__utmz=96942214.1416251727.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=60371237

and the summit weather info:  https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KNYHUNTE3

Due to recent elbow surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon I will not be able to provide first hand reports before January.

In restaurant news, Scribner’s has opened. Here is an article about it:

http://www.metropolismag.com/October-2016/Modern-Mountain/   and their website: 

http://www.scribnerslodge.com/

 

The Hunter Brewery is also open:  www.HunterMountainBrewery.com

 

Think & pray for snow and rain which we desperately need.

Jon

 

Hunter March 7

Hello Hunter fans,

It was a magnificent morning to be out on the slopes. All trails were groomed to perfection and partial sun with high clouds made for excellent visibility. The temps went from 22 late last night to 40 this am and now 57 base / 44 summit.

The surface conditions were very consistent & fairly firm but softened with each run until late morning when it became a bit mushy and sticky. No significant brown or bare spots. It was very windy on top gusting to 35 mph but it was not real cold. Every open trail was excellent with ego snow. The west side: Claire’s & Wayout were superb. “Z” was running slow due to the wind but the Flyer had no issues.

There was a very light crowd even with the Localmotion and Grand Marnier Bartenders races. Most of the deck was fenced off for the bartenders party including a mechanical bull (see attached photos).

The firemen come in to race tomorrow and Wed – man are they going to sweat in those heavy jackets! The cold beer will be flowing.

 

I am pleased to advise officially that Hunter / Peak Resorts will honor all LIFETIME passes for Hunter only. The new season passes are being offered at bargain prices and cover 7 of Peak’s eastern resorts including Mount Snow but must be purchased by April 30th with only a $99 down payment.

See the links:  http://www.peakpass.com/?_ga=1.12351348.1592558624.1457374337#1  or  http://www.huntermtn.com/

 

The weather for the rest of the week is forecast to be very warm with possible rain due Wed night into Thurs. I do not enjoy skiing mush so I may not be out to write a first hand report for a while.

Party on........

Jon

 

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. West wind 5 to 7 mph.

Tuesday

Partly sunny, with a high near 57. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 7 to 11 mph.

Wednesday Night

A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday

A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday Night

A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.

Hunter March 1

Hello Hunter fans,

Mother nature is still playing tricks on us. After periods of rain yesterday and temps in the 50’s a front came through last night with high winds and cold temps down to 19.

Today started out sunny with no wind but the damage was done. The light went flat around 10 am and the surface was flat frozen corduroy so visibility for my old eyes was tough.

Thankfully the groomers made skiing possible but it was noisy, frozen hard and fast. It was like skiing on a Ruffles Potato Chip – it rattled your bones but it was edgeable. After a while the ridges broke down on the main trails and it turned to sugar on hard pack. All front side trails were groomed but there were ice & brown patches. One could not venture where it was not groomed.The snow base is receding from the edges of the trails.

Apurna and Dropoff look to be done for the season. Claire’s was not groomed and showed quite a bit of brown and bare from what could be seen from the intersection with Wayout. One could not access Wayout from White Cloud as the narrow path there was bare. Temps are now 35 at the base / 25 at the summit and the sun is peeking through but clouds and mixed precipitation are forecast for later today, tonight and more rain/snow tomorrow – really can’t catch a break.

The hoses have not been removed from the guns yet so there could be some recovery effort Thursday night and Friday as very cold temps move in.

None of the rumors you hear about closing early or going with weekends only after mid March are true as no decision has been made yet but stayed tuned.....

This Saturday is Grand Marnier weekend with bands, torchlight parade and fireworks well past dark – big time party!

 

On a more serious note a Go-Fund-Me page has been set up by the ski patrol and family members of Tommy “Wheels” Cannalonga to purchase a new wheel chair accessible vehicle for him. Many of you see Tom wheeling around the base lodge in his wheel chair and skiing the mountain on his uni-ski. Here is the link:    www.gofundme.com/kmqvfp5p  Please try and help out.

 

Be safe out there!

Jon

 

NWS Forecast:

Tonight

A slight chance of rain, snow, and sleet before 9pm, then a chance of rain between 9pm and midnight, then rain and snow after midnight. Low around 33. South wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Wednesday

Rain and snow showers before 9am, then a chance of snow showers between 9am and 4pm. Temperature falling to around 21 by 5pm. Breezy, with a northwest wind 11 to 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 10. Wind chill values as low as -3. Northwest wind 11 to 17 mph.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph.

Thursday Night

A slight chance of snow after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday

Partly sunny, with a high near 30.

Friday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 17.

Saturday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Sunday

Partly sunny, with a high near 39.

Hunter Feb 26

Hello Hunter fans,

I did not ski today (issues with my boiler) , actually not since Monday, but wanted to up-date you on the weather etc.

We had torrential rain (about 3”) with lightening and thunder Wed/Thurs with temps up to 54. The temps dropped dramatically late yesterday from 50 to 34 with evening snow flurries before it all froze last night.

Today is very bright, sunny, very windy with temps now 24 at the base and 15 at the summit with winds from 18 to 54 mph – wind chills below zero.

There are guns on mid-station, Hellgate and maybe Minya but not on the Belt or anywhere else that I can SEE (that doesn’t mean that they are not blowing on the west side).

The daily snow reports from Hunter all this week have been quite fictional to put it mildly. Apurna is closed for the season.

The groomers had to do some snow farming to cover multiple bare and brown spots left by the rain. There were rivers running down the mountain.

I can only guess that there were very variable surface conditions today. If you look at the webcams (  http://www.huntermtn.com/winter/webcams/?__utma=96942214.808046579.1416251727.1416251727.1416251727.1&__utmb=96942214.1.10.1416251727&__utmc=96942214&__utmx=-&__utmz=96942214.1416251727.1.1.utmcsr=%28direct%29|utmccn=%28direct%29|utmcmd=%28none%29&__utmv=-&__utmk=60371237   ) you will not see any people in line or skiing the mid-station area.

Saturday should be sunny, windy and cool but Sunday the temps will approach 50 again with some rain expected Monday & Wednesday next week.

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

Unfortunately with March only a few days away, and given the season we have had, it is almost time to dust off the golf clubs.

Make the best of it,

Jon

 

This Afternoon

A slight chance of snow showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 23. Blustery, with a northwest wind 18 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight

Partly cloudy, with a low around 12. Wind chill values as low as zero. Northwest wind 7 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Saturday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. West wind around 11 mph.

Sunday

Partly sunny, with a high near 49. Southwest wind 9 to 11 mph.

Sunday Night

A chance of showers after 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Hunter Feb 22

Hi all you Hunter fans,

It was a bluebird day with a cloudless sky, strong sun, no wind and no crowds. The surface froze overnight as temps dipped below 30 (22 at the summit this am) and early runs were teeth rattling on hard, fast frozen corduroy. However by about 10:30 the sun had worked its magic on all east facing trails and the snow quickly softened. It is 41 now at the base, 31 at the summit and most surfaces I would guess are mushy. The west opened late due to frozen conditions and I never made it over there but all front side trails were groomed and enjoyable. The mountain was really empty even given the fact that there was a Localmotion race today. Tomorrow should be another nice day but it goes downhill from Wed thru Fri with mostly rain again – we cannot catch a break this year!   FYI – Saturday’s crowd topped 6,000 with about 4,000 on Sunday – yes, it was a zoo but great deck parties.

Ma Ma’s Pizza plans to move and open in it’s new location (ex Numero Uno) in April.

Happy Trails,

Jon

 

NWS Forecast for Hunter

 

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 19. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Tuesday

Partly sunny, with a high near 35. Southeast wind 3 to 8 mph.

Tuesday Night

A chance of snow, mainly after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday

Snow and sleet before 10am, then rain and sleet between 10am and 11am, then rain after 11am. High near 39. East wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night

Rain. Low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Thursday

Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 48. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night

A chance of rain before 10pm, then a chance of rain and snow between 10pm and midnight, then a chance of snow after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29.

Hunter Feb 18

Hello Hunter fans,

Another great recovery as only Hunter can do. Tuesday weather yielded over 2.5 inches of rain that froze overnight into Wed. Between great grooming and snow making the skiing today was very good.

It was cold overnight 14 and only 26 now but it stayed cold on top with 2 to 17 now. We had brilliant sun today, a bit of wind on the front side and an inch of natural snow overnight. All front side trails had variable conditions with crusted powder, soft powder and Hunter hard-pack underneath it all. Guns had blown fresh snow mostly on the top front of the mountain where most of the inconsistencies were but the west was very consistent flat and easy. Apurna was closed but both Claire’s & Wayout were very sweet as the west ruled the day. There were minor crowds for a holiday week. “F” was running but no “D”. Tomorrow may start out sunny but forecast to cloud up later in the day and stay that way through the weekend with a chance for mixed rain & snow.  Expect a large crowd again this weekend.

In restaurant news, Ma Ma’s Pizza will be moving into the old Numero Uno Pizza store in the near future. Hammo’s in Hensonville remains open as they seek new owners / buyers as the current owner recovers from a stroke.

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

Happy trails,

Jon

 

 

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 10. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Friday

Increasing clouds, with a high near 33. Light south wind increasing to 9 to 14 mph in the morning.

Friday Night

A chance of snow showers before 1am, then a chance of snow showers and sleet between 1am and 4am, then a chance of sleet after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. South wind 13 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday

A chance of rain showers and sleet before 10am, then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Southwest wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night

A slight chance of rain showers before 1am, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 1am and 4am, then a slight chance of snow showers after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42.

Hunter Feb 12

Hello Hunter fans,

Today capped off the best weekday week of the season. Cold, crisp, sunny (at least until 11 am) and no wind. It was 2 at the summit (now 12), 10 at the base (now 24) with some fresh machine made snow – more like a thick layer of dust – on a well groomed hard packed surface. The entire mountain was groomed including all west side trails. There is a high cloud cover since 11 am but it’s still bright enough for good visibility. There was a bit of a crowd for a Friday and “F” lift was also running but no “D”. The Flyer was stop and go mainly due to people who had trouble getting on or off but no major down time. Claire’s was under the guns all morning and it was dry soft powder. Be careful where Wayout, Claire’s and Apurna merge as that run out to the lift is solid ice from a leaky snow gun.  There were a few other guns on around the mountain as well. The arctic blast comes in tomorrow through Monday. Seriously people, if you go out cover all exposed skin as wind chills could easily top 30 below zero!

I am pleased to advise that the main bar now serves Guinness for those who like it. The Copper Tree will be open throughout the holiday so make sure you try Slurps noodle bar – I think it is the best food served at the lodge.

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

Once again, don’t forget Sunday is Valentine’s Day – the dog house will be frigid!

Be safe, layer up and stay warm,

Jon

 

Tonight

A chance of snow showers, mainly before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 3. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Saturday

Scattered snow showers, mainly between 1pm and 4pm. Mostly sunny and cold, with a temperature falling to around -4 by 5pm. Wind chill values as low as -28. Blustery, with a northwest wind 18 to 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around -16. Wind chill values as low as -40. Blustery, with a northwest wind 17 to 20 mph.

Sunday

Sunny and cold, with a high near 6. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph.

Sunday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around -1.

Washington's Birthday

Partly sunny, with a high near 20.

Monday Night

Snow likely before 4am, then snow and sleet likely. Cloudy, with a low around 19. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Hunter Feb 11

Hi All,

I did not ski today but wanted to give you a heads up on the up coming arctic weather through the weekend and to advise you that many restaurants including Van Winkles at the Hotel are already fully booked for dinner before 9 pm.

Also note that lift operations will be subject to high winds.

Here is the movie schedule:  http://www.catskillmtn.org/retail/movie-theater/index.html

Be safe & stay warm,

Jon

 

 

This Afternoon

A chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 15. Wind chill values as low as -6. West wind 16 to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tonight

A slight chance of snow showers before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 4. Wind chill values as low as -9. Northwest wind 9 to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday

A chance of snow showers, mainly after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 20. Wind chill values as low as -8. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday Night

A chance of snow showers, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 4. Wind chill values as low as -12. Southwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday

Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 6. Blustery, with a northwest wind 16 to 20 mph.

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around -13.

Sunday

Sunny and cold, with a high near 6.

Sunday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around -1.

Washington's Birthday

Partly sunny, with a high near 22.

Hunter Feb 10

Hello Hunter fans,

Two days in a row for freshies although today’s cover was only an inch. Once again great grooming with a thin coating of natural dry powder on all trails front and back sides.

The issue today was visibility which was very inconsistent – some sun but mostly low clouds. Half a run could be great and then the lights would go out.

It was warmer last night - down to about 25 and 32 now at the base but 22 at the summit with a 10 mph wind. Flurries come and go. No crowds – ski right onto the Flyer.

It looks like snow making will commence again soon as hoses & guns are being strategically positioned.

The Flyer did break down yesterday afternoon around 2:30 for quite a while but no issues today so far. No “F” or “D” as usual for a non-holiday midweek day.

There is a chance for snow showers at almost any time today through Friday. This weekend we will have an arctic blast like no other this season – bitter cold and high winds could bring wind chills Saturday into Sunday as low as minus 30 or more.

Don’t forget your valentine this Sunday or you may end up in a very cold dog house – brrrrr!

Bundle up and be safe – frost bite is no fun,

Jon

 

 

 

This Afternoon

A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 30. West wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Tonight

A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. West wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday

A chance of snow showers, mainly before 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -1. Blustery, with a west wind 13 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 6. Wind chill values as low as -7. Blustery, with a northwest wind 10 to 20 mph.

Friday

A chance of snow showers, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 21. Southwest wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night

A chance of snow showers, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 4. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday

Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 5.

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around -12.

Sunday

Sunny and cold, with a high near 7.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 0.

Hunter Feb 9

Hello Hunter fans,

Wow – winter is really here. Freshies for most of the first hour from 2” – 3” of icing on the cake. For once mother nature provided the snow.

The grooming was done before the snow fell last night and it was dry fluffy powder for a change on a very consistent hard packed surface.

The temps dipped to 17 last night and it was cold and overcast most of the morning but 34 and sunny now. There was and is NO WIND! The definition of the tracked snow made for good visibility even though it was quite overcast.

Since the snow was dry it did not clump together after it was cut up so it was not bumpy. It was a fantastic morning with no crowds at all – had to be one of the top 3 or 4 days so far this season. There were no lift issues.

Almost every trail including Claire’s was groomed. Apurna was open but with a thin coverage sign so not worth the risk since all else on the west side was really sweet.

There is a chance for more snow during the week before the arctic air arrives for President’s weekend. Expect some record crowds for the holiday week since Hunter has some of the best skiing in the east.

Some of you may be interested in this link about skiing for seniors:  http://www.seniorsskiing.com/

Ski safe & party hardy,

Jon

 

NWS forecast for Hunter:

 

Tonight

A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 22. Light and variable wind becoming southwest around 6 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Wednesday

A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 31. West wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Wednesday Night

A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 16. West wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday

A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 21. Northwest wind 10 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 6.

Friday

Partly sunny, with a high near 19.

Friday Night

A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 4. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday

Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 8.

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around -9.

Sunday

Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 9.

Hunter Feb 8

Hi All,

The weekend crowds are gone, the grooming was exceptional, there was no wind and the muted sunlight provided for decent visibility.

It was a great day to be on the slopes as every open trail was groomed including Claire’s. Apurna was closed due to too many bare spots.

The temps overnight were about 25 but 36 now at the base (25 on top) and vey pleasant outside. We should be getting 1 – 2” of new snow this evening and maybe some more on Tuesday & Wednesday before winter weather roars back in for the President’s weekend with a bitter cold wave. There were no lift issues and no lines whatsoever. It was corduroy surface on hard pack and it was a bit noisy but very consistent easy conditions on every trail.

Spring skiing is over for a while – be safe,

Jon

 

Here is the NWS 7 day forecast:

 

his Afternoon

A chance of snow, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 29. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tonight

Snow likely, mainly between 2am and 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 19. East wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Tuesday

A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 29. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tuesday Night

A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 23. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday

A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 32. West wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday Night

A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday

A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 22. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 6.

Friday

Partly sunny, with a high near 20.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 0.

Saturday

Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 9.

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around -9.

Sunday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 11.

Hunter February 2

Hello all and happy ground hog day.

Even the ground hog had a great day on skis – saw him cruisin’ down the main line on all fours! It’s spring time in February.

What another beautiful day to ski with brilliant sun, no wind and temps that went from overnight lows of 29 to 43 now. The mountain was empty except for those lucky enough to have today off.

There were no lift issues and the grooming was excellent on all front side trails. The surface was firm to start but softened up quickly under the strong sun. There are a few brown spots starting to develop where it was thin coverage to start like where the Cliff meets Bleeker and skiers right side of lower Racer’s. Some small pebbles started to show up on Eside & Minya in the usual spots. It was ego snow by mid morning. White Cloud was not groomed and it rattled your bones & teeth. Wayout was hard and fast but by now I am sure it has softened. Claire’s was not groomed and shiny / bumpy as you looked up at it but by now probably nice to ski. The deck was a nice place to hang out today with a drink after skiing as temps in the sun easily hit upper 60’s.

Nasty weather is forecast for Wednesday with heavy rains – more than an inch – high winds and temps in the low 50’s. It doesn’t look like any recovery can begin before Thursday night when it all freezes again.

Be safe,

Jon

 

 

Tonight

A chance of rain and snow, mainly after 4am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 32. South wind 7 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Wednesday

A chance of rain and sleet before 7am, then rain. High near 51. South wind around 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no sleet accumulation expected.

Wednesday Night

Rain likely before 8pm, then a chance of showers, mainly between 8pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. South wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday

A slight chance of showers before 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 40. West wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 31.

Hunter January 28

Hell Hunter fans,

It was two thumbs up today and if I had 4 thumbs they would be up too. What a difference from yesterday’s bad conditions.

Crystal blue sky with awesome sun made for great visibility. Fresh powder was blown on all main front side trails except Racer’s & Huega and they were all excellent.

Apurna & Claire’s groomed top to bottom – excellent. Light crowds. Temps overnight were in the low 20’s but now 38 at the base. There was a wind out of the west 10 mph at the top but no big deal. The summit temp is 29 was as low as 18.

Tomorrow looks to be cloudy with a 40% chance of snow/rain – hopefully just some snow. The weekend is looking warmer and clear.

Be aware that they are now checking tickets/passes for every run with a crew of 4 at the Flyer. Long range weather forecast for the entire northeast Feb – April calls for above normal temps.

Come ski it while we have it and man we have it!

Happy trails,

Jon

 

 

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Friday

Scattered snow showers, mainly after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Light west wind becoming northwest 8 to 13 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday Night

Isolated snow showers before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with a high near 35. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Sunday

Partly sunny, with a high near 44.

Hunter January 27

Hello Hunter fans,

Didn’t go out yesterday due to flat light, early rain, temps at 48 & high wind. I was told surface conditions were soft and consistent if you could see it. The Flyer was unloaded and shut down late morning for about an hour and there were other lift issues later. Temps dropped into the upper 20’s last night and you know what that means after a spring-like day. Even with heading out late at 10 this am I found surface conditions hard marbles and slick spots – very variable. One could only ski where it was groomed otherwise it was shiny surfaces. The sun was out for a while but now we have flurries, flat light & wind. Temps around 35 at the base, 26 on top with 15-20 mph wind. The only consistent flat surface run was Cliff/ Racers but it was noisy. The groomers did their best but the marbles were no fun so it was a short day for me at least. The main line and all east side trails were marbles. There were and are no guns on. There were no lift issues today – so far - and no crowds. They were checking all lift tickets for the first time this season.

Looks like a variable cold and windy week & weekend ahead. Bring back Monday!

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

Jon

 

 

 

 

This Afternoon

A slight chance of snow showers before 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 34. West wind 14 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight

Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. West wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. South wind 6 to 11 mph.

Thursday Night

A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. West wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday

Scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31. West wind 7 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night

Isolated snow showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Sunday

Partly sunny, with a high near 44.

Hunter January 25

Hello Hunter fans and storm survivors,

All I can say is OMG!  What a day to be on the slopes – best of the season by many accounts. Those of you who stayed up here because of the down state snow conditions had a real treat. Not a single snowflake up here from the storm.

Great sun, NO WIND and temps that went from an overnight low of 25 to 37 now. Every popular front-side trail had consistent excellent groomed (thanks Skip!) powdery conditions (Thanks Bruce!). Apurna & Claire’s were not groomed but softened by late morning. Cliff / Racer’s / Ike / Gunhill magnificent! HBK, Minya, Eside, Huega etc. couldn’t have been much better.

There were no crowds, no lift issues and no snow guns to deal with. Today was the first of the Localmotion races for all the mid and late life wannabe racers. ( I expect some feedback for that comment but hey – I really don’t care)

Even though the grooming report showed Lower K groomed it was only the run out – a bit of misinformation there. They do not groom the headwall.

The weather for the week looks to be okay for the most part with some mixed precip Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Going to be a great week – come play hooky!

Jon

 

 

 

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. South wind 7 to 11 mph.

Tuesday

A slight chance of freezing rain between 9am and 11am, then scattered rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. South wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tuesday Night

A chance of rain and snow showers before 7pm, then a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Southwest wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday

Isolated snow showers after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 34. West wind 9 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday Night

Isolated snow showers before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 31.

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Friday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33.

Hunter January 22

Hello all,

Come on up and enjoy some of the best skiing of the young season.

Today easily was a top 2 day with great sun, no wind and fresh powder from lots of snow making on groomed corduroy. It was very cold with summit temps in single digits and  22 at the base.

Guns were blasting fresh powder in many areas especially the entire mid-station section. The Cliff and Huega were not groomed (probably tonight). Huega was full of soft whale humps which were fun to ski since there was no ice for a change. There is massive snow making now on Apurna which may officially open tomorrow for the first time in 3 years.  Claire’s is in very good shape.  The depth of the snow base is now quite substantial on most trails especially Hgate which I would estimate at 7 ft.

They were running “F” today but it really was not needed. All of you from downstate, LI & NJ better get on the road tonight if you plan to make it up here. We are not expected to get any more than an inch or two if any out of the storm. IT will however be cloudy and windy.

Winter has arrived!! Enjoy the weekend.

Jon

 

 

Detailed Forecast

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as zero. North wind 5 to 8 mph.

Saturday

A slight chance of snow after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 20. Wind chill values as low as -1. North wind 8 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday Night

A slight chance of snow before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 13. Wind chill values as low as -2. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 28. Wind chill values as low as -1. Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph.

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Northwest wind around 8 mph.

Hunter January 21

Hi all you Hunter Fans,

I got back on the slopes after a few days off. Those who were out during the first hour said conditions were excellent with lots of powder on the main line trails and Racer’s – thanks “Killer”. I went out at 10:00 and found conditions good but not great. It was another cold windy day with temps in the teens and a brisk cold wind. It was very sunny. Although it is 23 at the base now the wind chill is still around 10. It is 15 at the summit with a real feel of 0 and wind steady at 15 mph with gusts to 30. The lifts were functioning well but no “F” or “D” as not needed.

Those surfaces exposed to the wind were blown off and very hard. The wind was out of the west today. The guns were still on in many places so there were pockets of powder in between hard packed “noisy” surfaces. I found many trails scraped off except for narrow strips on the sides. My opinion, very variable conditions. Cliff was left with ungroomed whale humps. Wayout was hard and fast. Claire’s, which was only accessible via the Alternate, had guns blasting from both sides top to bottom and although a few said the powder was excellent I do not ski a trail like that anymore unless the visibility is very good. White Cloud was just that – a snow guns whiteout.  Every trail on the mountain except Apurna & 44 Westway is open with good coverage. The weather for tomorrow looks to be a repeat of today. The Nor’easter forecast for the Atlantic coast is not expected to reach Hunter with anymore than winds and maybe a dusting to an inch or two.

If you know of anyone interested in a sublet of a High Peaks locker with parking benefits for the rest of the season please let me know as I have someone who will not ski the rest of this year.

Bundle up for the weekend – it will be very cold,

Jon

 

NWS forecast for Hunter

 

This Afternoon

Sunny, with a high near 22. Northwest wind around 14 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 8. Wind chill values as low as -1. Northwest wind 8 to 14 mph.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 23. Wind chill values as low as zero. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 10. North wind 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 23. North wind around 8 mph.

Saturday Night

A chance of snow after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday

A chance of snow before 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 30. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 15.

Hunter January 14

Hello Hunter fans,

It was a great day to be on the slopes. The surface conditions were excellent powder, packed powder and consistent grooming (except E-side which was covered with whale humps). The snow guns continued blasting on many slopes and we expect Claire’s, Gunhill and White Cloud to open tomorrow for the first time. Upper Cross opened today and it was superb even with the guns still going. The sun was adequate with some high clouds filtering it at times. The wind was much less than yesterday but still fairly strong on the west side especially on the upper Belt and on the Z lift – that was a cold ride up.   Wayout was very nice from which one could take UpperK to Minya & LowerCross. 

Cliif/ Racer’s or Ike was exceptional. The entire mid-station area was nothing but fresh dry squeaky powder right down through Kennedy. I don’t recall seeing so many guns operating at the same time as yesterday & today.

Overnight temps stayed in the mid teens but rose to a high of 26 today. It is just now clouding up with a lake effect squall due soon. The crowd was relatively light – no”F” or “D” needed or open.

Friday looks to be another really nice day, warmer, but the weekend outlook looks rather sketchy with a mixed bag of tricks from mother nature Friday night and Saturday followed by a deep freeze Sunday night into Monday.

Have a great safe MLK weekend,

Jon

 

Tonight

A slight chance of snow showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Southwest wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday

Partly sunny, with a high near 40. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Friday Night

Showers likely, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday

A chance of rain and snow showers before 11am, then a chance of rain showers between 11am and 3pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Sunday

Partly sunny, with a high near 29.

Sunday Night

A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

M.L.King Day

Partly sunny, with a high near 19.

Hunter January 13

Hi All,

What a difference a day makes.

The visibility this morning was bright & perfect although clouds and some lake effect snow started rolling in around 11:30. It is snowing now. The only thing we had to deal with was cold (teens bottom & single digits top) and strong steady 20+ MPH wind – gusts to 35. The wind chills were sub zero all morning. Surface conditions were excellent and consistent. Guns were blowing allover the place but they were not wet so there was no issue with goggles freezing up. Snow making was added to Gunhill, Claire’s, Upper Cross, 42nd. and the paths leading to/from the Hotel.

Best powder run today was Eside/Milky under dry powder guns. Wayout was opened late but the wind was out of the west today so getting there was dark and cold. You will notice that Wayout is now much wider, it’s fenced on skier’s right and the drops are gone. Also, the run-out to the lift is flatter. The wind would actually almost stop you on the top of Belt & Huega.

The Flyer had no issues and there was no “D” or “F” as not needed. The terrain Park was closed as it was being constructed by the groomers.

Thursday and Friday look good but there are storm warnings for Saturday that include mixed precipitation – Boo! The mountain has quite a few festivities planned for the 3 day MLK weekend – check their web site for details.

Hunter is back! Enjoy it!

Jon

 

Detailed Forecast (NWS) for Hunter

This Afternoon

A chance of snow showers, mainly before 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 18. Wind chill values as low as zero. Breezy, with a northwest wind 17 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as zero. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26. West wind around 7 mph.

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Friday

Partly sunny, with a high near 39. South wind 5 to 7 mph.

Friday Night

A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 1am, then a chance of sleet between 1am and 4am, then a chance of snow showers after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday

Rain and snow likely before 1pm, then scattered rain and snow showers between 1pm and 4pm, then scattered snow after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Sunday

Partly sunny, with a high near 30.

Sunday Night

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

M.L.King Day

Partly sunny, with a high near 19.

Hunter January 12

Hi all,

It was one and done for me today – probably wasn’t worth the effort to boot up and go out but I was antsy to ski again. It was defensive skiing.

The snow guns were blasting in an effort to recover from Sunday’s heavy rains and the Monday freeze. It is also snowing – the wind was blowing (actually howling) out of the east. Visibility was very poor and surface conditions very variable.

Where the surface was exposed to the wind it was polished and where it was calm, lots of powder – problem was you couldn’t see it. Wind gusts at the top were 46 mph / wind chill –4 / temp 16 and it hindered your exit from the flyer.

Grooming was minimal and there were whale humps on Kennedy that were glazed.

Temps were in the teens but about 25 now at the base. The west side was closed after only half an hour and the Flyer was running slow and stopping frequently. Wind will continue tomorrow and snow accumulation today expected to be 2 –3”.  Here is the link to the summit weather and base conditions:  http://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KNYHUNTE3

 

Ski & ride safely,

Jon

 

Detailed Forecast (NWS)

Today

Snow showers likely, mainly after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 26. South wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Tonight

Snow showers likely, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Wind chill values as low as -1. Breezy, with a southwest wind 9 to 14 mph becoming west 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Wednesday

A chance of snow showers, mainly before 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 20. Wind chill values as low as -2. Breezy, with a west wind 16 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as zero. West wind 8 to 11 mph.

Thursday

Partly sunny, with a high near 27. West wind around 10 mph.

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Friday

Partly sunny, with a high near 37.

Friday Night

A chance of snow after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday

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

Saturday Night

A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday

A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. Chance of precipitation is 30%.