How much snow is there, really?

March 11, 2011 3:11 PM

I want to ski on this Sunday, likely either in Stowe or Killington. Help me find out if the conditions are worth the drive!

I want to go skiing with my boyfriend sometime before the season ends, and this Sunday is the last day we're both available until early April.

Unfortunately, wunderground.com is reporting that it rained today near both Stowe and Killington; I don't really trust what the resort websites say themselves (they *lie*, at least ones in CO where I'm used to skiing do). So, how can I find out if it's worth the drive? If it's totally icy or worse raining while we're there, yuck.

FYI, I'm a good skier, but he hasn't skied recently at all, so we're probably looking to do mostly blues; if the expert terrain is icky it might actually be a *good* thing because then I won't be tempted to wander off and find it.

We're in Boston, would ideally like to drive up Saturday night and stay somewhere, and then head back Sunday eve.

posted by nat to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total)

I always call a restaurant on the mountain and ask. Then I stop by with a treat for who-ever answered the phone. Works like a charm.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 3:15 PM on March 11, 2011

Best answer: I did the restaurant thing this past weekend--it was either going to be raining on the mountain (like it was down in the valley) and awful for skiing, or it was going to be snowing and awesome, so I just called and asked if it was snowing. Most of the people who work those restaurants are skiiers themselves, so they're more likely to tell you the truth. If you feel weird about calling, just call with some other pretense, like checking breakfast hours, and ask, "How's the skiing right now?" as a follow up.

I also might consider calling an off-site ski rental place. They're likely to be getting more up-to-date snow reports from people coming off the mountain.
posted by BlooPen at 4:07 PM on March 11, 2011

x3 on calling a local business; my mother used to write the reports for one of the mountains you name and yep - lies! She tried to keep it relative, but still - that's the job. BlooPen is right - seasonal workers in the various towns are almost always skiers and will likely give you the real information you want.
posted by AthenaPolias at 8:00 PM on March 11, 2011

Also, for what it's worth - and this will give me away - if a report said that it snowed near Killington, then that weather doesn't necessarily apply due to the mountain elevation. The temperature in Killington proper is usually about 10 degrees colder than in Rutland or other neighboring areas, so rain in Rutland could be snow in Killington. Try the Rutland Herald's weather section for a more precise breakdown/focused ski report.
posted by AthenaPolias at 8:05 PM on March 11, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks folk, this was a great idea. I called one of the nearby ski rental places and they told me there was in fact actual snow on the mountain-- which turned out to be true when we got up there on Sunday. A good time was had on the snow by all.
posted by nat at 8:42 AM on March 14, 2011