Day 71 of skiing this season.
It's possible to ski today, but it may not be a whole lot of fun. Currently, at a temperature of -1, trail surfaces are frozen, icy, and very fast. As the temperature warms up to +6, trails will begin to melt, got softer and much slower. This afternoon, there is a chance of rain showers, and maybe even a thunder storm. Perhaps not the best day to go skiing.
Day 70 of skiing this season.
We received about 2 cm of new snow overnight. As of right now, with the temperature at -1, skiing is not bad; better than yesterday in fact. But conditions are going to be very changeable today. Precipitation is continuing, but has begun to transition toward rain. There may be some periods of ice pellets or freezing rain mixed in. The temperature is supposed to top out at +3, so it may get quite slow and sticky this afternoon. This is the reality of spring skiing.
Speaking of spring, I tapped my maple trees yesterday, and immediately had sap flowing. If you do come skiing over the next couple of weeks, you may notice the buckets along Trail #3 and #5.
7:10 a.m. Update: I just looked out the window, and big, fat, fluffy snowflakes are coming down. When this finishes, there will definitely be more than 2 cm of new snow on the trails.
Conditions on the trails remain essentially the same as they were yesterday: very icy and fast. So, at least for this morning, I'm going to keep the trails closed, out of concern for skiers' safety.
However, if the forecast is correct, then by noon the temperature will be above freezing under sunny skies, and trail surfaces will probably start to melt and soften up. If this happens, then it may be possible to ski this afternoon.
1 p.m. Update: I've taken down the Trails Closed sign at the entrance, and we will now count this as Day 69 of skiing for this season. The sunshine and above-freezing temperature have softened the trail surface sufficiently that it's now skiable. Caution is still required on hills.
We're expecting some snow overnight and into tomorrow morning, which may or may not be a good thing. By tomorrow morning, the temperature will be near or above 0, so the new snow may be very slow and sticky. Time will tell.
This is the first day that's not skiable in about 6 weeks.
I've been out on skis this morning, and trails are very, very icy. Trying to ski any kind of hill under these conditions would be very dangerous, so I am closing the trails for today.
I will go out with the Piranha and try to scarify the surface and create some soft powder there, but I cannot guarantee the result will be skiable. There is a chance of some flurries later today; even a couple of cm of new snow would make a huge difference.
I will post an update here after I've groomed.
10:30 a.m. Update: I've been over the southern and central trails with the Piranha, making 2 passes on most sections and even 3 passes on a few. In my opinion, the trails are still not skiable. I've put up a Trails Closed sign at the entrance on 5 Sideroad. Please do not come skiing today.
It's a nice day to go for a walk (but NOT on the ski trails please!)
Day 68 of skiing this season.
Ski conditions are poor to fair again today. Right now, at a temperature of -1, trails are icy and very fast (i.e. dangerous). Later today, as the temperature rises to about +5, trail surfaces will become soft, wet and slow.
There will be no grooming today, as snow conditions are not suitable.
I do not recommend skiing here today.
Colder weather returns tonight. Hopefully, I can get out tomorrow morning and create some decent ski conditions for Thursday and Friday.
Day 67 of skiing this season.
I'm hesitant to call this a ski day. We have plenty of snow, but conditions are only poor to fair. The problem is temperature: yesterday afternoon, we reached +3 as wet snow continued to fall. Right now, it's -1 so the snow surface is frozen and icy. Very fast. Our temperature is set to rise to +4 again today, with wet snow mixed with rain. So, by mid-morning, we will be skiing in slush.
I will not be grooming today, as the snow temperature is not suitable.
I would not recommend skiing here today.
Day 66 of skiing this season.
We've received 3 to 4 cm of snow overnight, and it's still snowing fairly hard, on a moderate wind from the south. This is expected to continue until about noon. The temperature is forecast to rise to the freezing mark by mid-morning.
Skiing right now is good, on an ungroomed surface of new-fallen snow. I will start grooming about 8 a.m., and hope to get most of the network done before it warms up. One of the rules of grooming is that it's not a good idea to pack snow at temperatures above freezing.
10:15 a.m. Update: The snowfall has just about ended, and the temperature is just reaching 0. I managed to groom almost all trails with the roller and comb. No track-setting today. Only the NE portion of trail #17 was not done. Trails are in good condition, but the warmer snow will probably be sticky on the bottom of skis today.
Now we wait and see what the next 2 days bring: some more snow, maybe some rain, temperatures a little above 0 are predicted.
4:30 p.m. The snow has become very moist and packing. It would be better, both for you and for the trails, if you did NOT come skiing under these conditions.
