UPDATE 3/3/22
      Conditions will remain as reported below through Saturday, but now Sunday will see rain and temperatures in the 50s. No new snow afterward as Monday will continue with some rain and a high of  40. Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the mid-30s for highs. Next update after Sunday's rain.

UPDATE 3/1/ 22

     Comments on the Marcy report confirm the original prediction.  Still not enough for steep but otherwise skiable trails. 

     Updated forecast has near freezing temperatures on Wednesday, but colder Thursday and Friday.  No significant new snow. Then warming back to freezing on Saturday with highs in the 40s on Sunday and Monday.  

INTRODUCTION

       On Friday we picked up 10-14" of very light powder, and this has pretty much everything back in good shape.  The only exceptions may be the hiking trail portion of the Wright Peak Ski Trail and the Marcy trail due to this snow being so light.
Temperatures are now predicted to remain below freezing through the coming week with a few additional chances for more snow. So it may be March, but the season is hardly over.   Sunday is predicted to be windy, so neither the Whiteface Highway nor any lake crossings will be the best choice, but they will be skiable.

             Otherwise, expect that all the popular routes will be broken out by the end of the day on Saturday.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
          Entire trail again skiable. 
          NOTE: Skiers starting from Rock and River in Keene should only park in the spots designated for skiers. Do not park in spots reserved for Rock and River guests. If all trailhead spots are taken, park in the overflow lot.

        CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed:  10    Track Set:  10
          New snow: 8"   Base Depth: 8"  Off Track 18"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder 
          Remarks:  

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  35 km    Track Set: 35 km
          New snow: 10"   Base Depth: 20" on man-made trails. 10" on natural snow. Off Track: 20"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder 
         Remarks:  Competition trails have been groomed along with the lower, flatter trails on the cross-country side and all of the biathlon side. East Mountain, Porter, and High Notch not groomed - at least not yet.

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open: 30 km.  Track set: ?? 
           New Snow:  22"   Base Depth: 12"  Off Track: 18"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
​           Remarks: 10" on Friday, 8" on Sunday, 4" on Wednesday night.  All very light powder so it has settled, but still the best conditions being reported anywhere.  Live music and hot food this weekend 3/5-6.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                45" at Lake Colden (estimate) 
                6-7 feet above 4,000 feet 
                Skis or snowshoes required by regulation in the High Peaks and needed in all other areas.
           
WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL: No report, but hiking trail portion may not have quite enough new snow to again be skiable.

MARCY TRAIL:  Phelps Brook above Marcy Dam and Marcy Brook at Indian Falls definitely "went out", in the last thaw and have not refrozen. Both crossings are difficult. Additionally, this very light snow has not completely covered the rocks on the lower part of the trail. 

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Cover all the way to the Castle, but there will be some bare spots given the wind.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable and every rock fully covered.  Nice skied-in track once past the junction with the trail to Mt. Van Hoevenberg. GENERAL NOTE: At the trailhead on Adirondak Loj Rd., DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road. 

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Covered and skiable, but the truck trail is still the better choice because the unbridged crossing on the old Marcy Dam Trail is not easily crossable, and the first mile of the hiking trail is not that much fun to ski with still marginal cover.  

AVALANCHE PASS:  Skiable again. Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden remain frozen and crossable, but outlet of Avalanche Lake definitely a problem as someone has gone through the ice.  Take trail on right side a few yards before the outlet and cross on the bridge.  GENERAL NOTE: If skied from the Meadows Lane/Marcy Dam Truck Trail trailhead, DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road.) 

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING: Good cover again. Pond is crossable, and avoids the hills at the start. 

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow.  So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed even after the recent storms.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable.  No report on the ponds.

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Skiable with the new snow.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Definitely skiable. Parking area now seems to be regularly plowed for 4-5 cars,  Parking on the road is possible - just not ideal. All culverts and bridges have been repaired/replaced. As of late December, one tree down just short of the ponds. If you ski there, please register as that will help justify future plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Skiable to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Skiable

INITIAL POST-THAW REPORT - 3:PM WEDNESDAY

       As of Wednesday afternoon, the temperature has dropped below freezing, and there are even a few snowflakes flying around. Not much expected with this cool down, but still a good chance of significant snow on Friday.

       Meanwhile, 12 hours or so of temperatures in the upper 40s accompanied by high winds did shrink the base, but it has held on all sections of the Jackrabbit Trail except the stretch along River Rd. in Lake Placid. Some spotty bare spots on golf courses, but nothing major.  There may be some isolated spots with water damage where culverts backed up, and the bridge over McKenzie Pond Outlet may be under some ice.  Too early for any reports there. So, as noted below, for tomorrow it's either the groomed centers or Microspikes, but we should be back to good conditions by Saturday morning.     

Warm temperatures will persist through much of Wednesday with some rain possible Tuesday night. Thursday will be cold, but on Friday it now appears we will pick up a significant amount of snow.  Given that we haven't lost our base, it looks very good for the coming weekend. 

       Meanwhile, good skiing on all the popular routes as long as it remains soft. Thursday appears to be a day for groomed center skiing since no significant snow will accompany that drop in temperature. Then Friday will see 5-10" of new snow.  Look for an update on Thursday when the predictions for snow amounts are clearer. 

INTRODUCTION (Updated to Saturday afternoon 2/18)

       Thursday's major thaw definitely changed conditions everywhere, but we picked up a few inches of new snow right after the thaw, and Saturday afternoon saw some surprise snow squalls that added a few more inches. So now, much terrain is back in skiable condition with any frozen ruts mostly covered up. On the backcountry trails, nearly every brook "went out" so unbridged crossings will be problematic.  Groomed centers are probably the best place to ski, but only Mt. Van Hoevenberg and Cascade are reporting any skiing.

      Looking ahead, it will be warmer on Sunday and Monday with temperatures in the low 40s on Tuesday and, of course, the possibility for more rain. Cooler on Thursday, but so far not much new snow to accompany the cool down.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
          Entire trail again skiable, but caution advised on the steeper downhills as there is not all that much powder for control .
UPDATE 2/20 - Whiteface Inn Rd to McKenzie Pond Rd is skiable.  The trail is frozen and packed hard, with a dusting to 2 inches of fresh snow on top.  The long downhill to McKenzie Pond requires caution, otherwise the rest of the trail is skiing well.  Off trail the snow is dense with a crust that mostly supports the weight of a skier.  Depending on equipment, you can stay on top of the crust for the most part.    
          NOTE: Skiers starting from Rock and River in Keene should only park in the spots designated for skiers. Do not park in spots reserved for Rock and River guests. If all trailhead spots are taken, park in the overflow lot.

        CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed:  10    Track Set:  10
          New snow: 2"   Base Depth: 5"  Off Track 10"
          Surface Conditions:  Groomed powder on hardpack
          Remarks:  

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  15 km    Track Set: 15 km
          New snow: 2"   Base Depth: 15" on man-made trails. 5" on natural snow. Off Track: 10"
          Surface Conditions: Groomed powder on hardpack 
         Remarks:  Competition trails have been groomed along with the lower, flatter trails on the cross-country side. Biathlon side is closed for now.

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open: 0 km.  Track set: 
           New Snow:  1"   Base Depth: 15"  Off Track: 24"
           Surface Conditions:  ??
​           Remarks: Condition report shows all trails currently closed.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                35" at Lake Colden (estimate) 
                5-6 feet above 4,000 feet 
                Skis or snowshoes still required by regulation in the High Peaks and needed in all other areas, but good traction is also important..
           
WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL: No report, but hiking trail portion will likely require a lot of new snow to again be skiable.

MARCY TRAIL:  No report, but Marcy Brook at Indian Falls definitely "went out", and that can be a difficult crossing.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Cover all the way to the Castle, but there will be some bare spots given the wind.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Was skiable and every rock was fully covered. Unbridged crossing 1/4 mile past the register could be a problem.  GENERAL NOTE: At the trailhead on Adirondak Loj Rd., DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road. 

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Covered and skiable, but the truck trail is still the better choice. Unbridged crossing on the old Marcy Dam Trail is probably not crossable.  

AVALANCHE PASS: No current report.  Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden remain frozen and crossable, but outlet of Avalanche Lake likely now a problem.  If in doubt, take trail on right side a few yards before the outlet and cross on the bridge.  GENERAL NOTE: If skied from the Meadows Lane/Marcy Dam Truck Trail trailhead, DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road.) 

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Still covered, but pond may not be crossable, and the hills at the start will be a challenge even with the new snow.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Smooth and gentle, this trail remains skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow- just not ideal.  So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed even after the recent storms.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  First few flat miles definitely skiable. Hills beyond probably are with the new snow.  No report on the ponds.

RAQUETTE FALLS: Probably skiable with the new snow.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: First hill will now be negotiable on the descent, and after that there are many miles of gentle skiing. Parking area now seems to be regularly plowed for 4-5 cars,  Parking on the road is possible - just not ideal. All culverts and bridges have been repaired/replaced. As of late December, one tree down just short of the ponds. If you ski there, please register as that will help justify future plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Skiable to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Still covered, but reports of some washouts.

Yesterday, Thursday 2/17, we experienced several periods of heavy rain totaling about an inch. Additionally, temperatures climbed past the 40-degree mark with a few 50s reported. Not surprisingly, this pattern reduced the overall snow pack, but there is still a good base left. As the storm moved on, a few areas picked up as much as two inches of new snow, but we didn't benefit from the greater amounts that fell to the north and west.

Mount Van Hoevenberg reports that the competition trails have been groomed, but for the other trails the groomers will, in their words, "regroup for an effort on the other trails tomorrow. Thus we'll wait to provide a more detailed report for that area.  Cascade X-C indicates that they are grooming, and that area's terrain is much gentler than the Van Hoevenberg competition trails. Paul Smith's VIC so far reports that the trails are "in rough shape" but will try grooming today.  We'll see what they will list as open tomorrow.

Cold today and tomorrow, but warming to above freezing Sunday through Wednesday with alternating rain or snow, but nothing major in either category.  Stay tuned....

As of Friday afternoon, we can report 2-3" of new snow on the refrozen base. This will make the flattest terrain at least skiable, but our best guess is that any steeper terrain will not be easy to descend because of the frozen-in trench and the frozen chunks outside of that trench. Areas that were never skied, might be skiable on top of the crust, but that crust is still somewhat breakable, making for nearly impossible skiing conditions. 

It might just be a weekend to put on microspikes and take a hike, although there could be another 1-2" of new snow in some snow showers tomorrow.

The pattern for next week is not that good as well with warm temperatures Monday through Wednesday, and more rain on Tuesday without much, if any, new snow before it cools down to a high only near 20 on Thursday.

We'll just have to hope for one of our March "recoveries" to give us some more good backcountry skiing. In the meantime, we'll monitor what the groomed centers are able to offer.  

       As of Tuesday, it appears the less-than-ideal forecast for this week still holds. Temperatures upper 30s to low 40s on Wednesday followed by upper 40s and rain on Thursday. There will still be reasonably good cover everywhere after this brief warm-up, but so far it does not appear we will pick up any significant amount of snow as it cools down for Friday and Saturday. Temperatures will again warm to the 30s for Sunday and Monday. We'll update again on Thursday with the hope that we can report some "useful" amount of new snow.  

       Otherwise, at least the groomed centers (Van Ho, Cascade, Paul Smith's VIC, and Dewey) will still have good snow to groom.

Weather update 2/11/22:
      Temperatures late Thursday ended up rising to around 40 in all areas, with similar temperatures now predicted for Friday. It will continue warm into Saturday, so we will still be enjoying soft surfaces on a very good base. Unfortunately, Sunday will see hard and fast conditions unless we somehow pick up a few inches of snow with the approaching cold front. The cold continues through Monday, bit moderates for Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Unfortunately, the National Weather Service now predicts a continued warming to the 40s on Thursday with rain a possibility.  Given that even a shorter-term forecast yesterday didn't prove to be exactly accurate, the forecast for next week may change.  Stay tuned...

     Meanwhile, we're looking at two days of good conditions, so get out and ski. 

INTRODUCTION

       This week has seen a few hours of temperatures above freezing since Tuesday, but nothing that has really affected the powder surfaces. Temperatures will be at or just above freezing through Saturday, but then much colder on Sunday and into the first part of next week. Temperatures will again rise to around freezing on Wednesday next week, but then return to the 20s, so still no thaw in sight.

Some reports indicate that the additional snow from last week's storm has further weighted down the ice on ponds, which has resulted in slush under the snow. Avalanche Lake does not have any slush, but there is some slush under the snow on Lake Colden. This likely means that the St. Regis Canoe Area now also has that condition, so be aware of the possibility.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
          Entire trail is, of course, now skiable and all sections have been broken out.

        CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed:  10    Track Set:  10
          New snow: 1"   Base Depth: 10"  Off Track 20"
          Surface Conditions:  packed powder
          Remarks:  

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  55 km    Track Set: 55 km
          New snow: 10"   Base Depth: 22" on man-made trails. 10" on natural snow. Off Track: 20"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder 
         Remarks:  Most track re-set as of Wednesday, 2/9

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open: 30 of 40 km open.  Track set: 20 km
           New Snow:  1"   Base Depth: 15"  Off Track: 24"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
​           Remarks: Building staffed Thursday - Sunday except it will be closed this coming Saturday due to Saranac Lake Winter Carnival parade day. All trails except for Fox Run packed. Track will be set on the edges of the wider trails. All other trails groomed.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                45" at Lake Colden 
                5-6 feet above 4,000 feet 
                Skis or snowshoes definitely required by regulation in the High Peaks and needed in all other areas.
           
WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL: Definitely enough snow on the higher sections. Hiking trail portion could still be a little rough.  Send reports

MARCY TRAIL:  Definitely enough snow to be skiable. Still a few rocks to avoid in the stretch above Marcy Dam, but after the "50-meter" bridge the conditions are good.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable and finally every single rock is fully covered. At the trailhead on Adirondak Loj Rd., DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road. 

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Finally skiable. Marcy Brook is crossable above the breached dam.  No need to descend to the bridge over the brook below the dam.

AVALANCHE PASS: Fully skiable and well broken out.   Avalanche Lake is frozen and crossable, Outlet not a problem this year. (If skied from the Meadows Lane/Marcy Dam Truck Trail trailhead, DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road.) As noted above, the new snow has caused some slush to form under the snow on Lake Colden.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable, Pond is crossable and is the best access..  

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow.  So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed. (Yay!). But no word yet on plowing after this storm.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable, and loop back on the ponds now very doable, except that, as noted above, the new snow may have caused some slush to form under the snow.

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Skiable.  

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Skiable. Parking area has previously been plowed for 4-5 cars,  Parking on the road is possible - just not ideal. All culverts and bridges have been repaired/replaced. As of late December, one tree down just short of the ponds. If you ski there, please register as that will help justify future plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. Confirmation via comment below that the trail has been broken out to Camp Santanoni.

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Fully skiable.  Snowmobile traffic along with the foot traffic.  

As of Friday morning the entire area has picked up anywhere between 8 and 14 inches of new snow. Even the lesser amount is sufficient to make for perfect conditions for the weekend and next week. This should also be sufficient to make both the Wright Peak and Marcy trails skiable. Reports updated as we learn more.

Saturday will be cold with temperatures only around 10, but low 20s on Sunday, and then upper 20s to low 30s for the rest of the week. So, what could be better than mild temperatures to enjoy this new snow, but no thaw to take it all away.

Some reports that the additional snow has further weighted down the ice on ponds, which has resulted in slush under the snow. No specific reports for Avalanche Lake, Lake Colden, or the St. Regis Canoe Area, but be aware of the possibility.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
          Entire trail is, of course, now skiable,

         First report of a broken out section is the Old Mountain Road section: fully broken out from Rock and River to Mountain Lane, and the ice climbers even used skis on their access, so no post holes.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed:  10    Track Set:  10
          New snow: 10"   Base Depth: 10"  Off Track 20"
          Surface Conditions:  packed powder
          Remarks:  Grooming in progress as of Friday AM

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  55 km    Track Set: 45 km
          New snow: 10"   Base Depth: 22" on man-made trails. 10" on natural snow. Off Track: 20"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder 
         Remarks:  All trails except High Notch groomed. Track setting in progress as of Friday AM

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open: 35 of 40 km open.  Track set: 20 km
           New Snow:  12"   Base Depth: 12"  Off Track: 25"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
​           Remarks: Building staffed Thursday - Sunday. All trails except for Fox Run packed. Track will be set on the edges of the wider trails. All other trails groomed.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                34" at Lake Colden before the new snow
                3-4 feet above 4,000 feet before the new snow, likely 5-6 feet now
                Skis or snowshoes definitely required by regulation in the High Peaks and needed in all other areas.
           
WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL: Definitely enough snow on the higher sections. Hiking trail portion could still be a little rough.  Send reports

MARCY TRAIL:  Definitely enough snow to be skiable. Still a few rocks to avoid in the stretch above Marcy Dam, but after the "50-meter" bridge the conditions are good.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable and finally every single rock will be fully covered. At the trailhead on Adirondak Loj Rd., DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road. 

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Finally skiable. Marcy Brook is crossable above the breached dam.  No need to descend to the bridge over the brook below the dam.

AVALANCHE PASS: Fully skiable.   Avalanche Lake is frozen and crossable, Outlet not a problem this year. (If skied from the Meadows Lane/Marcy Dam Truck Trail trailhead, DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road.) As noted above, the new snow may have caused some slush to form under the snow - more likely on Lake Colden.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable, Pond is crossable and is the best access..  

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow.  So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed. (Yay!). But no word yet on plowing after this storm.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable, and loop back on the ponds now very doable, except that, as noted above, the new snow may have caused some slush to form under the snow.

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Skiable.  

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Skiable. Parking area has previously been plowed for 4-5 cars,  Parking on the road is possible - just not ideal. All culverts and bridges have been repaired/replaced. As of late December, one tree down just short of the ponds. If you ski there, please register as that will help justify future plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. Confirmation via comment below that the trail has been broken out to Camp Santanoni.

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Fully skiable.  Snowmobile traffic along with the foot traffic.