Hey, Unofficial Okemo fam! Have you missed us? Even when we miss only one day of emailing you, it feels like an eternity. 💔 Our love has rekindled because Abby, Noah, Rachel, Hannah, and Danny all hit the slopes today on this weird weather Wednesday and put together an afternoon update just for you (well, all of our subscribers but you get it... we have many lovers).
Today's report is a group effort made possible by Hannah's early-morning hike, Abby and Danny's afternoon laps (because they are wimps and waited for the rain to pass), and Noah and Rachel's ski program with Ludlow Elementary. We all got out there on our own terms and had lots of different experiences in a matter of 7 hours. Here's the rundown:
Hannah: She started her hike in the morning darkness paired with a light drizzle of rain. You would never have guessed that big snowflakes were falling at the summit based on the base weather and temperature. As she ascended the mountain, that rain turned into fat, white flakes. The wind picked up and the summit was socked in with dark clouds. We knew right away that today's weather would be an interesting one. 😮💨
Abby & Danny: The anti-rainers waited until noon to click on their skis and board. The sun was shining, it was partly cloudy with pieces of blue sky, and the birds were chirping (not really...just for aesthetic purposes). The happy couple was stoked for a spring-like day with soft conditions and warm temps. However, as the lift took them higher and higher, they quickly realized that winter was hanging out at the summit. The wind picked up, the temp dropped several degrees, and it was snowing! The difference between the base and the summit was truly night and day. You wish you had automatic color-changing lenses for how drastic the difference in light was. 😜
Noah & Rachel: The infamous power couple and good samaritans got out on the slopes today with the Ludlow Elementary school program. They only skied low to mid-mountain runs today, so they didn't experience the harsh difference like the others. They enjoyed the spring of deception day with soft and buttery turns on trails like Kettlebrook, Open Slope, and Mountain Road. The kids were happy and even stopped to take in the view of the sun-kissed mountains in the distance (while eating a couple of waffles). 🥺
Today's trail of the day was a tie between Black Out and Wardance. Because these trails are located mid-mountain, you got a great snow surface and sunshine during the run. Skiing from top to bottom went like this: hard-packed with very light dusting → icy in steeper spots with wind-blown snow → softening snow with very few ice patches → soft spring-like and carvable conditions. It was variable, to say the least, but it made for a great run from start to finish. 🤠
Pro Tip: Pack your extra lens even if you don't think you'll use it. Making the mistake of bringing your dark lens and then realizing you can't see at the socked in summit is a sketchy game to play. When in doubt, go lighter on the lens.
Overall, it was an interesting day of weather at Okemo. However, the trails skied great and so much fun was had (I mean, how can you not have fun when there's no lift lines). It looks like Upper Chief could open up tomorrow as we saw that the groomers had just pushed out the snowmaking and it appears to be ready for guests. Keep an eye on that trail count!
❄️ We finally have a real snowstorm on the horizon. ❄️ Snow is expected to roll in tomorrow afternoon. As the storm begins there will be a chance of wintery mix/sleet as we are right on the cusp of some warmer air from the south. As we get into Thursday night, any chance of a wintery mix will transition to snow. Snow is expected to continue through Friday with any real accumulation ending by Friday evening. There is a lot of uncertainty with this storm leaving total accumulation up in the air. From what we gather 3”-5” is expected with a chance that we could encounter more if we stay cool on Thursday afternoon. All of that being said The West River Weather Guy (http://www.westriverweatherguy.com/) is predicting 5”-10” in the mountains with some ski areas having the potential for more! We will keep you posted on how this storm is tracking tomorrow and Friday. ⚠️
"The change in weather from base to summit really kept me on my toes today." - Danny the Manny
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Think snow,
Abby + Noah
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