Colorado, Vermont, Utah: Snow!
Big Storms Make Mountain Resorts White Paradise for Seniors
At New England and Western Ski Resorts, Huge Snowfall Beckons Vacationers for Prime March Holidays and Maybe April, May, or Even June
Mountain resorts in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, New England and the Tahoe region are trumpeting their huge snow totals so far this winter as skiers and snowboarders and their families get ready for the big March holidays.
Ski Vermont: "Among Snowiest Winters"
"We are on par for a record season," said Jen Butson, Ski Vermont's Director of Public Affairs in a statement. "According to the National Weather Service, Burlington has already recorded 88.4 inches of snow this year, compared to its 52 inch average. That measures up to be amongst the snowiest winter seasons in 130 years."
She said that the most recent storm adds to the blanket of snow that covers every Nordic and Alpine ski area in the state. The base measurements in some regions are comparable to an NBA basketball player, at 74 inches of snow."
Record Storms in Tahoe and Colorado
In California's Tahoe region, the snow that hits the Sierra Nevada range is better measured in terms of the height of buildings. Three more feet of new snow fell in the North Lake Tahoe region over the weekend. "This winter is turning out to be one for the record books with ski resorts reporting snowfall totals of more than 30 feet," according to a publicist for the region.
In Colorado," Wolf Creek and many of the areas of southwest Colorado [Purgatory at Durango, Crested Butte, Telluride, Silverton] are experiencing one of the top five or 10 total snowfall accumulations of any year since snowfalls were counted," National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Kalina told the Denver Post.
The state's ski areas organization, Colorado Ski Country, said in a press release that as of Feb. 26, resorts were enjoying "the 60th powder day of the season."
The story is similarly snowy in Utah, where Alta, typically the resort near Salt Lake City that records the most snow, has already passed 500 inches for the season. At Snowbird, located in Little Cottonwood Canyon next door to Alta, the total is 421 inches and counting.
Taos Gears Up for Snowboarders
In New Mexico, Taos has been having a big snow year as it gears up for a huge change. Starting March 19, the venerable skiing-only mountain will allow snowboarders to ride its famously steep slopes.
If there is a problem, it is that some roads leading to the various resorts both east and west have been closed periodically either because of avalanche danger or the difficulty in keeping blowing snow off the roadway.
Resorts say there is still time to book hotel, motel, B&B and condo rooms as well as entire houses for the traditional high season -- the month of March. Already, some resorts are planning to stay open later in the spring. Snowbird "won't hesitate" to stay open "into June (and possibly beyond!) if the conditions allow," a spokeswoman told this columnist.
