Looks like another good weekend for early season ski touring in the High Peaks region. The Whiteface Toll Road will likely be skiable by Friday morning and we might see Mt. Van Hoevenberg open a few rolled trails if accumulations are sufficient (fingers crossed).
This is the latest from the National Weather Service in Burlington:
"Attention Snow Lovers! We've got some more good news for you, especially if you are willing to head into the mountains to find it. Most of us will have a cold rain develop during the day Thursday and last into Friday, though a brief period of snow at the start is expected at elevations between 500 feet to 1500 feet before turning to rain. The higher elevations will not have the transition to rain. The amount of snow will greatly vary with elevation. In general, above 1500 ft elevation is where the snow will accumulate to perhaps an inch. Above 2500 ft, the amounts will be at least 4". On the tops of the highest peaks (Whiteface, Mt Marcy, Mt Mansfield, Jay Peak) we are expecting 7 to 10 inches."
In Saranac Lake today we've picked up about an inch of dry fluffy snow as of 5:30pm. Yesterday (Wednesday) the McKenzie Pass section of the Jackrabbit was patrolled and cleared of blowdown. We found 4-5 inches of crusty snow at the higher elevations between the Placid lean-to and the height of land on the pass, but most of the trail had only a dusting on the leaves.
We'll be checking conditions on a few early season favorites tomorrow afternoon. Stay tuned for updates and more photos.
IF YOU HAVE PHOTOS OF CURRENT SKI CONDITIONS, PLEASE SHARE THEM VIA OUR FACEBOOK PAGE OR INSTAGRAM - @BETAtrails. Thanks!