We did receive a few inches of snow on Tuesday night, but it started melting by noon on Wednesday. Thanksgiving Day will be in the 40s with some rain possible, followed by above freezing temperatures through the weekend.  The Whiteface Highway and the golf courses will be just barely skiable on Thanksgiving Day.  After that, pretty much no golf course skiing and a steadily shrinking length of the Highway that remain skiable.  Unfortunately, continued warm into the first part of next week. We'll have an update when things again look hopeful for skiing.

Meanwhile, still much ice from 3,000 and above, with some even lower down.  Bring traction on any hike.

First of all, Josh and I want to thank all the enthusiastic volunteers who have turned out this fall to work on the Jackrabbit Trail and the other ski trails BETA maintains.  We can only hope that it snows this winter so that all that good work doesn't go to waste.

As for the skiing, we've had a few brief moments, but for now there is nothing but the upper reaches of the Whiteface Highway. Tomorrow, Wednesday (11/18) will be quite cold, but then it warms up to the 50s by Friday.  Somewhat cooler with rain or snow over the coming weekend.  Traction aids will be needed above 3,500 feet for any hiking, but we're a long way from needing skis or snowshoes at that elevation.

In the ideal world (if such a thing exists), we would hope for some extended cold weather before we get any snow so that he ground freezes and the lake ice thickens before an insulating layer of snow keeps the little water courses coursing in the ski trails and the ice subject to slush.  As always, however, we'll just have to see what actually happens.   

     Snow has been falling for much of today, Monday, but no significant accumulation just yet.  Tonight's forecast calls for 4-6 inches, which would make more than just the Whiteface Highway skiable - at least for a day or so.  There is no frost in the ground, so the snow will be melting from the bottom almost as soon as it falls; and then from the top starting Wednesday when temperatures begin to rise to the 60s predicted for the weekend.  We'll update tomorrow after we see what we actually get and them maybe a better idea on how warm it will get.  UPDATE 11/3:  Yes, we did get the 4-6"pretty much everywhere, but it is definitely wet powder on no base and unfrozen ground.  And with temperatures warming to 50 tomorrow, this snow won't last long.  It may survive on the upper part of the Whiteface Highway into the weekend, but some forecasts have it as warm as 65 degrees by Sunday.