Aside from a few inches of new snow, conditions have not changed much from last week.  Mt. Van Hoevenberg, Cascade, Paul Smiths VIC, and Dewey Mt. all report full, or nearly full, operation. On the Jackrabbit Trail and in the backcountry, the new snow has "refreshed" the surfaces, but not allowed any new routes to be recommended.  The only true news is that the parking for Boreas Ponds is now being plowed, and there is a good broken track on Gulf Brook Rd.

​Significantly colder Friday and Saturday, but warming to 20 on Sunday followed by a milder, but not too mild, beginning of next week.  

INTRODUCTION

        Since the big storm last weekend, the Lake Placid area has picked up another 3-4" of light snow in a nearly continuous series of light flurries.   This makes for very nice surfaces pretty much everywhere.  Skis or snowshoes are now required by regulation for travel in the High Peaks. In other areas they are needed and should be used.       

         Friday and Saturday will see continued occasional light snow. Friday will be warmer with a high near 30, but temperatures plunge by the weekend with highs only single digits or maybe 10 on Saturday and Sunday. Starting Monday, highs will be in the teens, but no chance of any more snow through to the end of the week.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL

          Entire trail is now skiable.  Both the Old Mt. Road and McKenzie Pass sections have been broken out.   Paul Smiths section has great cover, but no reports of what stretches have been broken out.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed: 15km      Track Set: 10 km 
          New snow: 9" last five days     Base Depth: 8"  Off Track 14"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
          Remarks:  Ski shop open

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  55km    Track Set: 53 km
          New snow: 9" last five days     Base Depth: 12" on man-made trails. 8" on natural snow. Off Track 14"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
         Remarks: 

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           40 km Open.  Wider trails groomed with some set track. 
           New Snow: 3" -24 hours      Base Depth: 12"
           Surface Conditions:  packed powder
           Remarks: 
BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
           With this snow, pretty much everything is now skiable, and skis or snowshoes are now required by regulation for travel in the High Peaks.  In other areas they are needed and should be used.  Avalanche Pass definitely skiable, although still a few rocks to avoid between Marcy Dam and Avalanche Camp. Avalanche Lake is crossable.  Wright Peak Ski Trail skiable, but approach on the hiking trail still rocky.  Marcy trail still likely somewhat rough for the first 1.5 mi. up to the bridge, but skiable cover beyond.  Whales Tail Ski Trail also reported in good shape.

                  Reports indicate that lakes that had been good skiing before all the heavy, wet new snow now are compromised with slush under the snow.  This problem may improve with the very cold weather this weekend, but for now no lake crossing can be assumed to be free of slush.  (You won't fall through, but you'll have very wet feet and iced up skis.)

Snow Depth at Lake Colden:   27"     Snow Depth at 4,000 feet (est.):  4-5 feet.
 
WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable, and still a better choice than the hiking trail.  

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Skiable.  Old Marcy Dam approach has some water, but is the better approach.  Current hiking trail has some roots showing, but the bypass after the long bridge is in good shape 

AVALANCHE PASS: Skiable through to Avalanche Lake.  Avalanche Lake is frozen crossable.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable. Hills just past the summer parking are improved with the new snow. Connery Pond no longer skiable due to slush under the snow.
​
HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow.   Parking area was plowed after the first storm.  We can hope that happens again

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable, but loop back on the ponds likely not recommended to the above-mentioned slush condition.  

RAQUETTE FALLS:  No report, but should be skiable to the falls without having to walk down both "Hemlock Hill" and the final switchbacks.  Plowing ends one mile from the parking area at the Corey's Road gate (now closed), but vehicles were being driven that far before the latest snow.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area is not being plowed this winter, but for now at least some vehicles can access the parking area.  Washed out culvert at 1/2 mile is a bit of an obstacle, but can be easily negotiated on skis.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing to both Camp Santanoni and Moose Pond. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Sufficient cover even at the start under the thick hemlocks.  Some snowmobile traffic along with the foot traffic.  

INTRODUCTION

        Over the weekend, the Lake Placid area has picked up a total of 8-12" of snow.  The first 6" was very dense and wet, but additional snowfalls have been of lighter snow - a near perfect combination of a solid base with softer snow on top. With this snow, pretty much everything is now skiable, and skis or snowshoes are now required by regulation for travel in the High Peaks. In other areas they are needed and should be used.       

         The coming week will see occasional light snow, even a bit of sun, and temperatures remaining at or slightly below normal for mid-January.  Temperatures could be even colder by the coming weekend, but we'll report on that on Thursday, 1/22 when the forecast for the weekend is clearer.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL

          Entire trail is now skiable.  Both the Old Mt. Road and McKenzie Pass sections have been broken out.  No report on the Paul Smiths section.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed: 15km      Track Set: 15 km 
          New snow: 11" storm total     Base Depth: 7"  Off Track 12"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
          Remarks:  Ski shop open

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  54km    Track Set: 53 km
          New snow: 11" storm total     Base Depth: 12" on man-made trails. 7" on natural snow. Off Track 12"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
         Remarks: 

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open and Groomed:  35  
           New Snow: 12 storm total"     Base Depth: 10""
           Surface Conditions:  packed powder
       Remarks: Most terrain groomed, some track set

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
           With this snow, pretty much everything is now skiable, and skis or snowshoes are now required by regulation for travel in the High Peaks. In other areas they are needed and should be used.  Avalanche Pass definitely skiable, and Avalanche Lake is crossable.  No report yet on the Marcy or Wright Peak ski trails.  Marcy trail still likely somewhat rough for the first 1.5 mi. up to the bridge, but skiable cover beyond.  The caveat is that it is likely there is a breakable crust under the lighter snow.
 
WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable, and still a better choice than the hiking trail.  

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Skiable. 

AVALANCHE PASS: Skiable through to Avalanche Lake.  Avalanche Lake is frozen crossable.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable. Hills just past the summer parking are still a bit thin, but can be avoided by skiing across Connery Pond. Look for the Connery Pond Access sign just before the summer parking.  Once at the pond, ski at a magnetic bearing of 350 degrees to reach the best exit from the lake to the trail
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HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow.   Parking area was plowed after the first storm.  We can hope that happens again

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable, and loop back on the ponds no also skiable. 

RAQUETTE FALLS:  No report, but should be skiable to the falls without having to walk down both "Hemlock Hill" and the final switchbacks.  Plowing ends one mile from the parking area at the Corey's Road gate (now closed), but vehicles were being driven that far before the latest snow.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area is not being plowed this winter, but for now at least some vehicles can access the parking area.  Washed out culvert at 1/2 mile is a bit of an obstacle, but can be easily negotiated on skis.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing, to both Camp Santanoni and Moose Pond. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Sufficient cover even at the start under the thick hemlocks.  Some snowmobile traffic along with the foot traffic.  

SNOWFALL UPDATE SATURDAY EVENING

                  The forecast was for 6-10", and we definitely have so far received "our" 6" throughout the Lake Placid region - including Keene..  Some light snow still falling, so the final total could be greater.  We'll see.  The snow fell while ground temperatures were at or above freezing, so it is dense stuff.  A great base, but "Sierra Cement" isn't great for graceful turns in the unbroken snow.  Once it cools down, we'll see whether today's snow firms up to a crust that supports a skier, or whether one just sinks down into a granular mess.  

                      There is the promise of some additional light snow after it cools down, and that will put a nice surface on the trails that were broken out today.  Those trails include the Old Mt. Road section of the Jackrabbit Trail, and very likely the other long McKenziePass section of the Jackrabbit Trail. 

                        Otherwise, this snow has finally made every popular route skiable. This includes the hiking trail from ADK Loj to Marcy Dam.

WEATHER UPDATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON
            A major change in the forecast now predicts snow to start early Saturday morning and continue through the day with 5 or more inches by the end of the day.  There will be winds of up to 35mph, and that's just in the valleys.  The snow will continue into Saturday night before tapering off by Sunday afternoon. Total snow accumulation of 6-10".  This will put most popular ski routes in shape.  After the storm, next week will be partly cloudy with temperatures a bit below normal, highs only in the lower 20s most of the week. So, if all of the above actually happens, winter will really be here - better late than never.

INTRODUCTION

        While temperatures have been above normal this past week, they have never gone too far above freezing.  So, no snow lost, and we have picked up several inches of new, light snow here and there during the week.  No great increase in overall snow depth, but the base is now a bit more solid, making for some additional skiing.
         The big question is the weekend weather.  There will be some precipitation, and for now it appears it will be all snow in the Lake Placid area.  No major accumulation, but better than the rain or mixed precipitation predicted predicted at lower elevations.  Temperatures turn cooler on Sunday with colder (highs mid-20s) temperatures to start off next week.  The good news is that we will finally see some sun next week, but still no significant new snow in sight.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL

          Best skiing is Whiteface Inn Lane to the top of the pass, but with the new snow the Old Mt. Road section is nice skiing even though there are still just a few rocks to avoid.  Very thin starting in from McKenzie Pond Rd., but perhaps skiable closer to the pond. Peninsula Section of the Jackrabbit Trail still just barely skiable with many rocks and roots to avoid.  Peninsula Road, however, very skiable for a short out and back ski.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed: 5km      Track Set: 0 
          New snow: 2"     Base Depth: 3"  Off Track 3"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
          Remarks:  Ski shop open

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  29km    Track Set: 25 km
          New snow: 2"     Base Depth: 12" on man-made trails. 3" on natural snow. Off Track 3"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
         Remarks: Biathlon side trails and man-made snow competition trails open.  Ladies 5km and Porter Mt. Trails still closed.

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open and Groomed:  40  
           New Snow: 2"     Base Depth: 8"
           Surface Conditions:  packed powder
       Remarks:  No grooming of the new light snow due to mechanical problems, but otherwise good cover on their extensive system.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
           Still not enough snow that snowshoes are required per regulation at the trailheads, but they should be carried and used at the higher elevations when the snow depth is over 8", or anywhere one is leaving a deep print.  Most recent report is 11" of snow at Lake Colden, and not much has likely fallen since.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable.  The larger rocks are still visible. Use caution as there are many rocks that are merely "disguised."  

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Not skiable. 

AVALANCHE PASS: Past Marcy Dam it is reported as "passable" on skis through to Avalanche Lake.  Last report was that the ice on Avalanche Lake is frozen and safe to cross.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable with caution.  Hills at the start are very thin, and there are rocks showing in other places. Maintain control on all downhills. Hills at the start past the summer parking area can be avoided by skiing across Connery Pond. Look for the Connery Pond Access sign just before the summer parking.  Once at the pond, ski at a magnetic bearing of 350 degrees to reach the best exit from the lake to the trail
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HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow with 10" of snow at the Sheep Meadow.   Parking area has been plowed.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable, although caution still needed on the big hills two miles in.

RAQUETTE FALLS:  No report, but likely skiable to the falls, although a walk down both "Hemlock Hill" and the final switchbacks may be advisable.  Plowing ends one mile from the parking area at the Corey's Road gate (now closed), but vehicles are being driven that far.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area is not being plowed this winter, but for now most vehicles can access the parking area.  Tracks broken to the ponds, but not yet onto the surface of the ponds. Washed out culvert at 1/2 mile is an obstacle, but can be negotiated without removing  ones skis.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing, although still thin. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Sufficient cover even at the start under the thick hemlocks.  Some snowmobile traffic along with the foot traffic. 

Fish Pond and weather update as of Saturday evening, 1/9"

Fish Pond definitely very skiable with a nice skied-in, unwalked-upon track the entire way.  

Weather will warm to around freezing for a few days later in the week, but will cool to the upper 20s as of next Saturday.  So, the good news is that there is no "January Thaw" insight, but the bad news is that there is no new snow in sight.  The conditions reported below will likely be unchanged for the next week or so.  Next full update when there is a major change in conditions - whenever that happens.

UPDATE THURSDAY EVENING 1/7:  Now 11" at Lake Colden, but still very marginal ski conditions getting there. Snowshoes or skis still strongly recommended for travel there  More snow up high, so snowshoes pretty much mandatory for any High Peaks.  Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden now reported as "frozen", so safe to cross.

INITIAL REPORT:  We definitely still have "early season" conditions, but quite a bit of terrain will be skiable for the weekend.  The weekend weather will be sunny with highs in the mid-20s.  Then next week warms to around freezing by Wednesday.  No significant new snow in the forecast.  

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
        Best skiing is Whiteface Inn Lane to the top of the pass. Old Mt. Road section is skiable, but there are still rocks to avoid.  Very thin starting in from McKenzie Pond Rd., but perhaps skiable closer to the pond. Peninsula Section of the Jackrabbit Trail barely skiable with many rocks and routes to avoid.  Peninsula Road, however, very skiable for a short out and back ski.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed: 5   Km Track Set: 
          New snow:      Base Depth: 3"  Off Track 5"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
          Remarks:  Ski shop open

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  11    Km Track Set: 4 km
          New snow:      Base Depth: 12" on man-made trails. 3" on natural snow. Off Track 5"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
         Remarks: The 4km of set track is on the more challenging racing trails where there is man-made snow.. 

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open and Groomed:  40  
           New Snow:      Base Depth: 8"
           Surface Conditions:  packed powder
       Remarks:  All trails groomed. So far, no track has been set

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
           Still not enough snow that snowshoes are required per regulation, but they should be carried and used at the higher elevations, or anywhere one is leaving a deep print.  No current report on snow depth atLake Colden, but we may get one by Friday.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable.  The larger rocks are still visible. Use caution as there are many rocks that are merely "disguised."  

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Not skiable. 

AVALANCHE PASS: Past Marcy Dam it is reported as "passable" on skis through to Avalanche Lake.  Last report was that the ice on Avalanche Lake was not safe tocross.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable with caution.  Hills at the start are very thin, and there are rocks showing in other places. Maintain control on all downhills. Hills at the start past the summer parking area can be avoided by skiing across Connery Pond. Look for the Connery Pond Access sign just before the summer parking.  Once at the pond, ski at a magnetic bearing of 350 degrees to reach the best exit from the lake to the trail
​
HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow with 10" of snow at the Sheep Meadow.   Parking area has been plowed.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable, although caution still needed on the big hills two miles in.

RAQUETTE FALLS:  No report, but not likely yet skiable al the way to the falls.  Plowing ends one mile from the parking area at the Corey's Road gate (now closed), but vehicles are being driven that far.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area is not being plowed this winter, but for now most vehicles can access the parking area.  Tracks broken to the ponds, but not yet onto the surface of the ponds. Washed out culvert at 1/2 mile is an obstacle, but can be negotiated without removing  ones skis.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing, although still thin. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Sufficient cover even at the start under the thick hemlocks.  Some snowmobile traffic, but a good skied-in track along the edge for a good part of the way to the Lower Lake.

It took a while, but we can now look forward to skiing more than just the Whiteface Highway and golf courses.  We have picked up 3" as of Saturday morning, and it is still snowing.  Temperatures are just below freezing, so this is pretty dense stuff - a good base for the periodic snow showers predicted for the coming week.  This snow will make several of the early season favorites skiable.  These include Fish Pond, Hays Brook, Ausable Lake Road, Newcomb Lake Road, and Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds.  Not sure the Marcy Dam Truck Trail can be recommended just yet, but maybe by the time this storm is over it will be - albeit with caution as the rocks will just be "disguised", not covered.  

Updates as we get out and ski or as others report what they've found.

UPDATE 1/3/20 - Decent conditions on the Connery Pond/Whiteface Landing trail as of Saturday night.  Caution needed on downhills with some rocks barely covered, and a few wet spots to negotiate still, but otherwise great snow coverage all the way to Whiteface Landing.  

Some of the smoother sections of the Jackrabbit Trail can be recommended, such as the section between River Road and the Lake Placid Club.  Not enough snow at McKenzie Pond Road trailhead to make that section skiable yet.  Some tracks observed above Whiteface Inn Road on Saturday morning, cover is good at the register here and this section is likely skiable to the lean-to or beyond to the height of land with some caution coming back down the hill, but we can't recommend continuing to McKenzie Pond or Saranac Lake.

More reports coming this afternoon....  

UPDATE 1/3/21:  We've been getting out, and here's what we found in addition to the reports above: 

Ausable Lake Road is in great shape - even under the thick hemlocks at the start.  Dedicated ski track on one edge or another for much of the distance.

Sheep Meadow and Grass Pond in Paul Smiths has 6" at the trailhead and about 10" at the lean-tos at Sheep Meadow.  Great skiing with a nice skied-in track to both destinations. Best news is that the trailhead parking is plowed with over a dozen vehicles parked there.  We'll do what we can to keep this plowing going all season.

​Fish Pond should be just as good and also with broken tracks.

As for the weather, some light snow from Sunday night into Wednesday, then clear with high temperatures in the mid to upper 20s through Saturday. Not much more snow, but so far NO THAW IN SIGHT.

Still not much good skiing to report, but at least the rain earlier predicted for Thursday and Friday has been "moved back" to Saturday.  There is again just enough snow for golf course skiing in Lake Placid (except for Whiteface Club which is now restricted to members). The Paul Smith's VIC reports 4-6" of new snow, while noting that the cover under thick conifers is still very thin.  A comment on the previous report indicate about 5" on the Fish Pond Truck Trail, with that trail skiable to Fish Pond - albeit with some thin areas.  

No recent report about the Whiteface Highway, but that should again be skiable, if thin at the start. 

Going forward, there does not appear to be any "game changing" snowstorm on the way, so we'll just have to take these few opportunities to ski, continue to hike with our spikes, or seek out the smaller bodies of water that have safe ice. 

UPDATE 12/31   Still no major snow in sight, but as of this morning the "R" word is no longer in the forecast - just some sleet mixing with the snow on Saturday.  Total accumulation of 1-3" predicted, and sounds like pretty dense stuff, so it will be a good, if minimal, base.  Then more snow showers Sunday and Monday, which will make at least golf courses and the smoother, easier terrain skiable.

Newcomb Lake Road is just barely skiable with 1-2" of base with some fluff on top.

The report from Lake Colden as of today is still only 4" as of Thursday with 4-6" up higher.  Not enough to ski to Lake Colden, and snowshoes are still not required in the High Peaks.  Trails are very icy, so good traction is essential.  

Farther to the west, the Cranberry Lake area apparently has skiable snow, and that probably means the Old Forge area also has skiable snow.

The DEC Outdoor Recreation Bulletin this week announced that the Town of North Hudson will not be plowing the parking area for Gulf Brook Road leading to Boreas Ponds.  Also no plowing for the Ragged Mt./Hoffman Notch parking.

Christmas eve and day saw significant rain, high winds, and temperatures soaring to near 60 in the area.  So no snow on the ground here in the Lake Placid area.  Very little left even above 4,000 feet.  Temperatures have cooled down, so all that water has turned to ice, making good traction (Microspikes or better) required right from the trailhead.

Lapland Lake did retain some cover and is reporting that, with some work, they will be able to offer some skiing starting Sunday. No report as of this morning from Garnet Hill, Also, no report as to whether the man-made snow at Mount Van Hoevenberg survived the thaw.

The coming week unfortunately doesn't look very good for skiing. 1-3" of new snow are possible today, Saturday, but that's about it.  Monday will again rise above freezing, but Tuesday and Wednesday will be cold with highs in the 20s.  Then a repeat of sorts for this past week with temperatures in the mid-40s Thursday and Friday and a 70% chance of more rain, followed by cooler temperatures on Saturday. Given the severity of yesterday's thaw, no lake ice can be assumed  to be safe - even if it was a few days ago. 

UPDATE 12/27  Garnet Hill is closed, Lapland Lake is very limited, so it doesn't appear that there is any skiing to be found if these two areas didn't survive the Christmas rain.  Still only a few flurries predicted early this week, and then again rain on Thursday into Friday. Sorry.  2021 has to get better, doesn't it?

Temperatures have already reached the mid 40s as of mid-morning with even warmer temperatures this evening and tomorrow.  Rain, heavy at times, is predicted for this evening, so no chance of any snow surviving here in the Keene-Lake Placid-Saranac Lake area.  Reports from those hiking above 3,500 feet this past week indicated only 4-6", so even that may disappear before it turns colder.  Christmas night and into Saturday will see temperatures cooling to more normal levels for late December, but unfortunately only a few snow showers are predicted.  Monday will again be in the 30s, but it will again be a bit colder than normal Tuesday and Wednesday. But still no significant snow in the forecast.

So, with the cool down, all the water will turn to ice on the trails, and good traction (Microspikes at a minimum) will be needed - sometimes right from the trailhead.  Areas to the south of here that received two or more feet of snow, should still have some cover; but only the groomed centers will be able to provide decent surfaces for skiing.  We'll check as of Saturday what Garnet Hill and Lapland Lake will be able to offer as well as whether the man-made snow at Mt. Van Hoevenberg has held up to the thaw.  

So skiers, I guess all we can hope for is that Christmas 2020 is the last bad thing to happen in this otherwise not so good year.  Here's to better 2021!

Milder temperatures in the 30s will continue Monday and Tuesday with perhaps a bit of new snow to fall on top of the 2-3" we already have here in the Lake Placid area. As reported elsewhere. areas to the east and south have more, with 5-6" just a few miles east in Elizabethtown.  The remote weather station in SUNY ESF's Huntington Forest showed 6" as of Thursday, but those skiing on the Newcomb Lake Road said it was more like 3" with definitely marginal conditions.  

The Lake Placid and Craig Wood golf courses are definitely skiable for now, but the Whiteface Club is operated as a groomed center, so only skiers with a trail pass are permitted there.  And on the other courses, especially the Lake Placid Club courses, remember that you are an "uninvited guest" and should respect the owners who are kind enough to permit public use when the courses are closed.

Looking ahead, we unfortunately don't see anything but lumps of slush in our stockings.  After a bit cooler temperatures on Wednesday, temperatures will warm to the 40s Thursday and Friday with a near 100% chance of rain.  Cooler on the weekend, but no current forecast for any new snow.  Sounds like microspikes will be the "wax of the day" for the weekend and beyond.  Mount Van Hoevenberg's 3 km of man-made snow should survive the thaw, and their groomers will be able to produce suitable surfaces for skiing after the temperature drops.  

Next update on Thursday when we have a better idea of just what we're looking at for weather.
​