At the Bolton Valley Resort, skiers were enjoying the season on a snowy Friday.
While much of Vermont dodged the heaviest snowfall totals that parts of southern New England saw from Friday’s system, the Green Mountain State did get in on the action — and knows how to make the most of it.
At Bolton Valley Resort, the couple of inches of snowfall Friday made for a lot of happy skiers and riders going into the weekend.
“I’m ready for more to come,” beamed rider Isabella Arnaboldi.
Storms like this, where southern parts of the region get more snow than the north, aren’t necessarily huge disappointments to Vermont’s skiing and riding industry. Resorts often say there is value in these types of storms because they do still tend to plant seeds in the minds of consumers in the Boston area — getting them thinking about heading up to the mountains.
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“We were all hoping for a nor’easter to dump a foot and a half on us this weekend,” said Scott Pelligrini of Bolton Valley Resort. “That went away. But honestly, last winter, every other day — 2 to 4 inches, 2 to 4 inches, 2 to 4 inches — and we had a really incredible winter.“
At Ski & Snowboard Express in Richmond, the equipment tuning team had just gotten a breather following the busy holiday rush, when the latest flakes started flying — likely triggering a new flurry of business.
"Anyone who’s been waiting for those last few inches to get out there, this is probably going to kickstart them," speculated ski and snowboard tuner Teddy Waite.
Of course, it’s not all fun and games in the snow in Vermont.
Vermont State Police shared an attention-grabbing photo on social media this week, saying a driver lost control on I-91 in Hartford when a chunk of ice flew off a car in front of her and slammed into her vehicle — hard. She had minor injuries, NECN affiliate NBC 5 News reported.
To avoid worse outcomes, troopers are pleading with folks to clean off their vehicles after it snows and to not follow other drivers too closely.
"That means staying tuned to NECN weather, recognizing that a couple inches of snow are going to fall, there’s weather coming through, I need to build in a couple extra minutes in my day," advised Sgt. Jay Riggen of Vermont State Police. "So I think about — not about the inconvenience of clearing vehicles off, but rather, whose life may I be saving by a result of taking an extra minute or two before I begin my journey?"
As tempting as fresh snow is, because COVID-19 is on the rise across the northeast, the trade group Ski Vermont wants skiers and riders to simply stay home if they’re sick or if they’re close contacts of anyone who’s tested positive.
Click here for more information on trip planning to Vermont ski resorts during the pandemic.
