While we normally look to Newcomb for the most reliable snow, a report just in says the Whiteface Highway has 1-3" of powder and is quite skiable. Given that it was bare pavement and glare ice for the first few miles just a few days ago, this was not expected.  No update from Paul Smiths, but that would be another likely area to get snow if the Whiteface Highway did. If we receive any other reports of unexpected snow, we'll report it here.
​Otherwise, still no chance of any significant snow in the next week.

SUNDAY, 12/31 UPDATE:
Maybe an inch of new snow in Lake Placid, but no more anywhere else. As always, there was hope that Newcomb would have more, but not the case.  Photos above and below tells the story. Still no significant snow in sight. Next update when we actually have something good to report.​

SATURDAY. 12/30 UPDATE:
Thanks to a few snow showers as the temperature cooled down, the ground in now white in the Lake Placid area. No report so far whether Newcomb picked up enough to make the Newcomb Lake Road skiable, but that ski would not take much to be again skiable. Otherwise, we are finally in a cooling trend, but after today's bit of snow not much else in the extended forecast. So, the 4 km of skiing on man-made snow at Mt. Van Hoevenberg is still the best we have to offer to x-c skiers.

As of Thursday, 12/28, we have had multiple days of above freezing temperatures. It will cool down on Friday. Precipitation will start as rain, grade to snow; but still only 1-2" will fall. Cooler through the weekend and into next week, but no real chance of accumulating snow.

Meanwhile, due to earlier, elevation-dependent snows, there is still significant snow above 3,500 feet. Trails that have received good use, don't need anything except good traction. Unbroken trails definitely need snowshoes as the snow is rotten and still 2-3 feet deep.

As noted earlier, there wasn't much snow at the end of the thaw.  A drive today found that there is 4-5" of base left on both Gulf Brook Rd. to Boreas Ponds and on Newcomb Lake Road to Camp Santanoni. Unfortunately, the forecast for the next week doesn't promise any significant new snow - just perhaps some more light rain mixed with snow.

Newcomb Lake Road will be good skiing with just 2-3" of new snow, and there is always the chance that Newcomb could get that when other areas are not seeing snow in the next few days.

Gulf Brook Rd. still has the tire tracks, now well-frozen, that were made in the first snow. It will be skiable with a few inches of new snow, but the descent back to the trailhead will be tricky with the frozen ruts until we pick up 6-8" of new snow.

Otherwise, no snow at Fish Pond, Hays Brook, or anywhere on the Jackrabbit Trail. The Paul Smith's VIC does say they have held some base, but that no trails are open for skiing.  Mt. Van Hoevenberg is making snow, but so far only reports the stadium and a 1.5 km competition loop as open.

So, if you are still looking for that "perfect" gift for an active skiers/hiker, probably best to choose a set of Microspikes. Those look to be the "wax of the week."

Unfortunately, just a dusting at the end of the rain. So, nothing north of the High Peaks is now skiable. Before the end of the week, we'll survey the possibilities south and west of the High Peaks, but with no new snow in the forecast anything left will just be a hard, icy crust.  That said, maybe Newcomb will pick up a surprise 2-3 inches, and the road to Newcomb Lake will be an option.  Stay tuned. 

SUNDAY, 12/17, WEATHER UPDATE

 The National Weather Service has now issued a flood watch from Sunday evening to Monday evening. High winds, temperatures around 50, and an inch or so of rain will melt much of the snow we have and add that to the streams.  So, hope you were able to ski, because there doesn't appear to any significant new snow at the tail end of this pattern.  If nothing else, we'll do a brief "windshield" survey on Tuesday to see if anything survived at any trailheads. Above 2,500 (or for sure above 3,000 feet) there will be snow remaining after this pattern, but it appears it will be a while before there is skiable snow on which to get there.

There has been good snow in may locations for the past few days. See previous reports for where they were. We have now had one day with temperatures in the 40s and more of the same for the next three days, with rain possible/likely on Monday.  Cooling off after Monday, but so far no compensating snow.

Many branches down on ski trails, including the Jackrabbit,  but relatively few downed trees. If you ski or, perhaps later, walk any of the trails, you are very much entitled to heaving aside any branches you encounter.  Sections already checked include:)
          a )Jackrabbit Trail from Rock and River in Keene to the beaver pond near the Lake Placid end of the section. 
          b )McKenzie Pass to the lean-to from Whiteface Inn Lane. Cleared up to  the lean-to. 
             Otherwise, take your chances, and don't forget the toss away some brush.

INTRODUCTION
 Despite the previous report that we would wait until the weekend for another report, actual reports and on-site checks indicate that the rest of this week will be a good time to get out and ski.

Colder temperatures Wednesday and Thursday, but warming as of Friday. Again, the possibility of rain over the weekend, but in the end last weekend set us up for some good conditions this week.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
         Sections between Keene and as far as McKenzie Pass (above Whiteface Inn Lane) have enough cover to be traversed on skis; but no specific reports as there are likely still some wet areas. Past the top of that pass toward Saranac Lake likely not enough to ski just yet.  Additionally, the heavy wet snow has brought down some trees and branches that will take a week or so to fully clear.


        ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER)
         https://adk.org/cascade-welcome-center/   518-837-5047
           Km Open and Groomed:  10  Track Set: 8  
          New snow: 2"   Packed Base Depth: 3-4"   Off Track 5-6"   
          New Snow last 72 hours: 9"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder
          Remarks: Great early-season conditions
Remember that Cascade is now owned by the Adirondack Mt. Club. Ski shop open as usual, and ADK members  ski free. 

         SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER - NEW
         10 km of groomed trails on Craig Wood Golf Course - rentals, lessons operated by High Peaks Cyclery. Free for residents of the Tri-Lakes area. $15/day, $10/half-day for others. 
.        scottscobblenordic.com

          KM Open and Groomed: 10   Track Set: ? 
         New snow: 2"   Packed Base Depth:  3-4"  Off track: 5-6" 
          New snow past 72 hours: 8"
          Surface conditions:  Packed powder          
          Remarks: 

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
         https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/nordic-sliding-centers/conditions   518-523-2811
          Km Open and Groomed: 15  Track Set: ?  
          New snow:  2"  Packed Base Depth: 3-4"  Off track: 5-6"  
          New snow past 72 hours:  8"
          Surface Conditions:     Packed Powder
         Remarks: 1.5 km of the competition trails plus the flatter "Legacy" trails and InnerLoopen and Ladies 5km . Unconfirmed report of grooming on the Perimeter Loop on the Biathlon side.  

​           PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
            https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/,518-327-6241
           Km Open:  15   Track set: 0    
           New Snow: 3"  Packed Base Depth: 3-4"   Off track: 6-8' 
           New snow past 72 hours:  2"
           Surface Conditions:   Packed powder
​           Remarks:   

            DEWEY MOUNTAIN:
           https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter  518-891-2697
            Km Open:  8  Track set: ? 
           New Snow:  2"  
           New snow past 72 hours: 6"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
           Remarks: Lower mountain trails open

           TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS
           https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/  518-359-8370
            Km Open: 10  Track set: 10    
           New Snow: 2"    Base Depth: 3-"4    Off track: 5-6"   
           New snow past 72 hours:  7"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
​           Remarks:  

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                 Snow depth at Lake Colden:  No current report, but likely 2' based on neighboring trail condition reports. 
                3-4' above 4,000 feet 
                Skis or snowshoes are required by regulation in the High Peaks as the snow depth is now above the 8" threshold. Snowshoes or skis still advisable on all other backcountry terrain - especially above 3,000 feet. 

WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL:  Not yet skiable

MARCY TRAIL:  Not yet skiable 

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable starting at the Toll House.  Some bare areas due to wind, but otherwise fully covered.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable with caution as many rocks remain a hazard. Downed trees may be an issue

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Not skiable.

AVALANCHE PASS: Not skiable past Marcy Dam, but skiable higher up on the pass. Avalanche Lake is being crossed, but use caution at the outlet. If in doubt, take the trail on the west (right) side about 50 yds. before the actual outlet and use the bridge to cross the outlet. 

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  No report, but likely not quite ready to be skied.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  No specific report, but the Paul Smith's VIC report indicates enough snow to ski this trail.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  No report, but possibly skiable.

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Not likely skiable.   

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS:  Good cover (6-8" as of last week) with another 3-4" over the past weekend. Some plowed parking as of last Thursday. We can hope that will continue  Please register if you ski there to help justify continued plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good conditions last week, and likely continued good with another 4" reported from the weekend storm.

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Likely not quite ready to ski yet.

MONDAY MORNING REPORT:

As of 11 AM, it appears the snow has ended for now.   So far, none of the threatened high winds. Snowfall amounts vary widely from 2" in Keene to 8" in two locations in  Lake Placid. Saranac Lake reports 3", but 8" not far to the west. Newcomb reports 5".  Therefore, any area that was skiable before this thaw and then snow is still skiable, although the trail breaking will likely be hard work.

The only consistent factor is that the snow is heavy and wet, but less so at higher elevations.  Given that the depths reported so far are elevation dependent, we can assume significantly more snow above 2,500 feet.  

​We'll be collecting reports as the week goes on and post an update before the weekend.

The National Weather Service has now come down from their earlier estimates of 8-14" of new snow by Monday afternoon to agree with Accuweather and other forecasters that it will be more like 5-10". And given this trend, the final total will likely be closer to the low end than the high end. The agreement in all these forecasts is that it will be heavy, wet snow. A good base perhaps, but not exactly a 'powder fest'. After Monday, all forecasts agree that there will not be any significant new snow, and that daytime temperatures will be a few degrees above or below freezing. Next Sunday will likely be the warmest with a high of 40. 

So, at the high end of the estimates, the groomed centers can try to make some good conditions out of the wet snow. The low end may just allow some packing to produce a good base that is likely to survive the warmer temperatures forecast for later next week. 

Areas that held a good base (Gulf Brook Rd., Newcomb Lake Rd., Whiteface Hwy.) should have survived this thaw and will be skiable regardless of the new snowfall amounts. 

WEATHER UPDATE 12/9/23
    
The latest forecast starts with flood watches for Sunday afternoon and evening, but precipitation is now predicted to change to wet snow during Sunday night with accumulations of several inches or more. So, those places where there is a good base will be skiable starting on Monday. Whether there is enough to make other areas skiable will have to wait until Monday when we see how much new snow has fallen. That said, the trend of the forecasts is in the right direction and we can be legitimately hopeful about what we'll be seeing for conditions next week.

​REPORT AS OF 12/7/23
As we've noted, the weekend weather does not look good, but there are a few places that will likely hold onto some snow as a base for any future snowfall.

First is Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds. Currently 6-8" of dense snow with a nice powder surface. The powder surface won't last, but there should still be several inches of cover so that road will remain skiable after the thaw. And only a few inches of new snow will make for great skiing for the weekend of 12/16-17.

​Second, the Whiteface Highway also appears to have enough snow to survive the thaw. Again, it will be nice to have an inch or so of fresh snow on top of the frozen crust that will be left after the thaw.

Third. while not recently checked, the Newcomb Lake Road to Camp Santanoni should also retain some cover after the weekend.

Stay tuned as we try to assess how much snow might fall on Monday as the temperatures finally drop from the 40s and 50's predicted for Saturday and Sunday.

Temperatures in the valleys remained above freezing for most of the past weekend, so all that fell at the lower elevations was rain. The higher summits, however, remained just below freezing, so the 1-1/2 - 3 feet of snow starting at 2,500 feet is still there in case anyone is planning on hiking any of the higher peaks.  On Sunday night, areas to the north of the Lake Placid/High Peaks did receive some new snow, and that includes the Whiteface Highway.  So again, we're back to that as about the only skiing except for the man-made snow in the Mt. Van Hoevenberg stadium.  Likely the snow on the Newcomb Lake Road has survived this thaw, but that's about it for the moment.

Looking ahead, temperatures will cool down mid-week with some chance of a few inches of new snow.  Unfortunately, the forecast for next weekend features temperatures in the 40s and rain. We'll post an update later this week while keeping our fingers crossed that the forecasters are wrong on this forecast.