Communities throughout northern Vermont are celebrating the unofficial start of winter following last week’s hefty pre-Thanksgiving snowstorm.
The system, which dumped nearly a foot of snow across the region, added natural powder to area ski slopes and will serve as a base snowpack for snowmobile and cross-country ski trails.
Jay Peak reports that about 10 trails and four lifts are open as of this week, with more to come as manmade snowmaking continues in response to falling temperatures.
Q Burke Mountain remains closed but plans to be ready for business by December 13, according to Ski Vermont’s website.
Away from the slopes, Lyndon State’s on-campus snowmobile club is excited to see the flakes flying once again.
Club President Anthony Macari is a big fan of the winter season because snowmobiling is his pastime.
“It means the start of more fun, more recreation, and just getting out into the environment and being able to explore areas of this region that we don’t get to see just driving in a car or even hiking a mountain,” he explained.
Macari says that the snowmobile club recently built a trail that will connect directly to Lyndon State’s campus. The trail is between one and two miles long and will give college riders access to a network of trails throughout Vermont.
“The trail should be in place for this season, so that’s great news for anyone who wants to snowmobile around this area,” Macari said. “I think it might actually help the Lyndonville economy too. More people riding in the area is certainly a good thing.”
However, the news for snow lovers isn’t all good as the winter solstice approaches.
According to an annual report from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, the region may not see the frigid temperatures of years past this season.
The south-central and southeastern parts of the country will likely see below-average temperatures, while the western U.S. and New England are projected to have above-average temperatures, according to a summary of the U.S. Winter Outlook.
Despite the unfavorable forecast, Macari remains hopeful that the snow and cold will come. After all, it’s only the first week of December.
“It’s just the start of more fun for me,” he said.
Anyone interested in joining the snowmobile club can contact Macari via email at anthony.macari@lyndonstate.edu.
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