uncletim

The 1000' advantage Rangeley has over N. Conway makes more of a difference than it might seem. As you posted in the other thread, Rangeley holds the snow much better and has a verrry long winter, but that also leads into a consistently cool summer as well. Fire in the fireplace in July/August is one of life's great joys. Conway can get hot like the rest of NNE lowlands. And N. Conway traffic in summer is a nightmare.

I'm mostly a lurker, but I will take this challenge. Back on EasternWX in those days, two of the most knowledgeable and most conservative posters, Don S and Usedtobe, were both quite firm all along that the warm early January pattern would be anomalous and we would return to cold and snow. Others may well have been in the same camp, but it was very unusual for both of them them to be so optimistically certain, so I actually emailed some "pro-snow" friends to say that the best minds were convinced that better times were coming. In certain situations, the good ones, and psu is certainly among them, can read the tea leaves well beyond 10 days.

That Feb '94 storm was one of the legends. I was in Arlington where it was also 19 degrees and absolutely pouring rain. Standing there looking out the door saying "What the...?" A lot of people don't believe it when I cite it, and I was almost beginning to doubt my own memory. Thanks for confirming!

36/11.5 in Rock Creek Canyon. P.S. Bob's back!!!

Certainly Okemo does a remarkable job with surface prep, and I'm lucky to be able to get up there a couple times a year during the week when it's relatively deserted, and less expensive. We'll see how things change with Vail ownership. Prices seemed to take quite a jump this year...

These are good guidelines, but there are a lot of variables that affect them. I think the resort's primary slope direction matters a lot. Not to get hung up on Mid-Atlantic examples in this subforum, but Whitetail in PA with it's south-east facing slopes needs a really cold day to hold up if the sun is out. I would assume Bromley is similar relative to its VT brethren. And regarding the thaw/freeze issue, grooming skill can make a huge difference. This past Tuesday at Okemo was springtime in Feb. with temps in the 50s and then it froze up tight on Tuesday night. I thought Wed. would be a skating rink, but the groomers managed to make a silk(ish) purse out of a sow's ear. Not exactly soft packed powder corduroy, but a mostly good-quality skiing surface. Bottom line is that skiing the east is usually something of a gamble regarding conditions, but a little bit of foreknowledge about the specific destination can improve the odds!

Summit bubble lift at Okemo not running, I assume due to wind, but I don't even see any chairs on it...?

I'm not native to this forum, but I have spent a good amount of time scoping out the different resorts over the years and I'm not an advanced skier, so I might be able to contribute. Stratton should have enough wide easy greens even from the top. As I recall, East and West Meadows are just as their names imply: wide and low angle. Also nice easy trails, not quite so wide open, from Tamarack on the lower 3rd of the mountain. In my experience, steeper trails tend to get scraped off quickly by crowds. Stratton also has the only real slopeside village in NE that I know of - a walking mall with shops, restaurants etc. Okemo is a great fit for lower level skiers in general. Grooming is top notch and almost nothing is steep, so it's tough to get into trouble. Lots of wide greens and easy blues. While there are plenty of slopeside accommodations, there's no "village" as such. Ludlow has some pleasant lower priced overnight options. Concur with Angus that Bretton Woods may be the best for lower level skiers, with lots of different green options and the bonus of an amazing view when you can see it. No village, but if you stay at the Mt. Washington (expensive of course), just about everything will be at hand. If you stay in North Conway, which has tons of accommodations at all different price levels, you can take a day at Wildcat. The trip down Polecat is a great experience for beginners. Stowe is one of the few places I have not been, so I can't compare. MLK weekend is likely to be both crowded and pricey at all the big resorts, so maybe some others can comment on ways to avoid or deal with the worst of that. Good Luck!

Just grabbed this pic off the webcam for Bald Mtn Camps in Rangeley. Aurora or just a camera effect? Her's the link: https://www.rangeleymaine.com/rangeley/webcams

I've gotta give Dec. 09 some love, for the quality of the snow. Beautiful, almost "champagne powder" from start to finish. A breeze to shovel, or even use a leaf blower. This week was close, though.