Agree regarding the east. I cant recall prolonged dry.
Northeastern U.S. Weather & Conditions
- Thread starter jamesdeluxe
- Start date
EMSC
Well-known member
No way Erie is giving much if any in the way of traditional lake effect. That lake does have a past history (rare number of years, but occasionally happens) of getting several feet of snow on top of the ice which in the right type of heavy wind then blows inland for nearly the equivalent of lake effect.
Ontario was 40% ice covered but plummeted to only 20% coverage in the past few days. I assume due to wind pushing the ice into the shoreline and re-opening lots of water areas.
Ontario was 40% ice covered but plummeted to only 20% coverage in the past few days. I assume due to wind pushing the ice into the shoreline and re-opening lots of water areas.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Again guys, it’s not Lake Effect. Look at a full Atlantic/NE radar.
It’s a bit of Lake Enhancement snowfall in a few areas due to a low pressure system - a Nor’Easter (or Alberta Clipper). Not a cold front, but a storm system.
There are moisture streams of snow in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario. Lake Erie is nearly 95% frozen. That’s not Lake Effect snow, nor enhancement. It’s low pressure moisture spinning around.
Radar on Feb 11th
Radar on Feb 12th - Storm is spinning not moving.
Lots of moisture being spun into Northeast.
Please Do not tell me Halifax and Fredericton are getting Lake Effect Snow!
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ChrisC
Well-known member
No, that’s not Lake Effect - more moisture from a low pressure system wrapping around. Lake effect does not pass over Catskills/Adirondacks/Greens/Berkshires.
Lake Ontario is definitely producing some Lake Enhanced Snow. Looks heavy.
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Is that part of the definition? Says who?
Call it what you will, I don't know how you can look at that image and think the lakes are not a factor.
Winds out of the northwest and snow falling on the leeward side of the lakes. Almost nothing over VT/NH/ME.
Maybe we are splitting hairs. I use lake enhanced and lake effect somewhat interchangeably. Lake effect is really a strong defined band. Lake enhanced means there is something synoptic going on and the lake is adding to the moisture. Enhanced looks usually look something like that image above.
To change your mind, what do we need? A tight band that targets Plattekill? You used the word never, several times, so I only need one example.
The run of consistent Northeast winter weather came to an end this week. However, to the extent there was any rain it must have been modest. The major Vermont areas remain in full operation this weekend with spring conditions.
skiandgolfnut
Active member
I was at Butternut today and the conditions were surprisingly great . Plenty of coverage, soft spring snow, empty and very pleasant out. I’m coming back up in two weeks and based on this weeks coming forecast I’d imagine it will look a lot different.
jasoncapecod
Well-known member
Bellearye was amazing today
Sunny low 50’s amazing deep cover
Sunny low 50’s amazing deep cover
berkshireskier
Active member
I may try Butternut one day next week, despite the very warm temps.
skiandgolfnut
Active member
Was at Butternut again today and decided to take them up on their season pass deal for next year. The cost of my 2 day lift ticket (180) was applied towards skiing the rest of this season free and a season pass for next year (400). For 220 extra seemed like a good deal. i had not been to Butternut since i was a kid and have spent the last few winters exclusively at catamount but i found the setup to be significantly better for my kids (4/5). Base area much easier to navigate. Less crowded. Good wide fall line trails and better snowmaking. There’s also a throwback charm to it that catamount lacks with the newer lodge. It’s definitely not as steep but can’t say that’s my priority when I’m in teaching mode. I really enjoyed it.
berkshireskier
Active member
I also just bought my Butternut pass good for 2026/2027 and also March of this year. I bought the "mid-week" pass (good for only mid-week, not including holidays and I paid just $149 for the pass, because I convinced them to count me as a "senior" even though I don't turn 70 until November of 2026. Normal mid-week lift tickets are $40, so there is a low break even threshold at $149. Butternut is a good place for young kids to ski because there is nothing too steep on the "mountain" and all the trails, more or less, feed back down to the base area, so kids really can't get lost. MY daughter learned to ski there and she became a very good skier. They have a very good junior development and race program (I taught the 7 year-olds for four or five years) and there is a good vibe to the program. I live only 12 minutes from the "Nut", so a mid-week pass works well for me, if I want to go out for a couple of hours of skiing.
skiandgolfnut
Active member
Hopefully I’ll be able to get them involved with some instruction there next season. We tried a lesson at Catamount last year and it seemed to me like the teachers at Butternut were more professional and older (just from looking) whereas Catamount kind of just seemed to be high school kids.
Several years ago I did a ski safari based in the Berkshires to use Indy and picked the Pres. Day week on purpose. Before that trip I didn't realize how close Butternut was to Catamount. I'd skied Jiminy Peak and Berkshire East when my daughter was in school in Boston for three years.
During that trip I wandered over to Butternut one afternoon after skiing elsewhere. Spent time observing the teaching area. Was impressed there was a separate chairlift. Had only seen that before at Montage. The instructors I watched clearly all knew what they were doing.
In contrast to Butternut, the families at Catamount who are part of the race program were clearly very dedicated. They showed up when very little terrain was open. There were no complaints when the opening of the lifts was delayed 15-20 minutes that morning.
Worth remembering that Butternut has a chugged along for decades, while Catamount had to be rescued by Jon Schaefer of Berkshire East. Presumably the Cat ski school wasn't in the best of shape for a while.
berkshireskier
Active member
Yea, I taught for 5 or 6 years in the Butternut ski school (just part-time on weekends) and my daughter was in the race development program for several years and, in general, I thought they had a fairly good and professional ski school for a small, local ski area. They take teaching seriously and had a lot of instructor training available.
This week is the first where I see widespread declines in eastern trail counts. However Vermont got a decent shot of snow this weekend to arrest and possibly reverse the decline.
Skiing at Blue Mtn, Ontario was excellent today. 6 inches new Friday day/night and this morning was full on winter conditions. Low 20’s snowing hard with a 20-40 mph wind blowing across the slope. Unfortunately tonight is a short warmup before cooling off again. Soft smooth base this morning on the groomers, nothing firm left underneath, then about 4 inch new from 9 am -noon.
berkshireskier
Active member
Yea, had a multi-day warm spell last week, with high temps one day in the mid-70's and mid to high 60's the other days. We had about two feet of snow on the ground prior to the warm-up (and some of it was, more or less, solid ice) and now it is 99% gone, with just a few small piles of snow left where it had plowed up over the Winter. The local ski areas are still open but on a much reduced base.
I'm copying my recent comment from the western thread as it may get more informed response here.