Ski resorts in New Hampshire are gearing up for a busy season, and are off to a strong start with fresh snowfall and early snowmaking operations.
Cannon Mountain started the ski season the day after Thanksgiving. Jennifer Karnan, who represents the ski resort in Franconia, said they opened with 6 inches of fresh snow.
“We’ve been getting flurries on the daily pretty much since we opened,” she said. “It’s been kind of like a snowglobe up here. And we’re opening terrain pretty quickly and seeing some great visitation.”
Ski New Hampshire, which represents nearly three dozen alpine and cross-country ski areas in the state, reports that over a dozen areas will be open by this Saturday.
“What’s wonderful is that we’ve seen the temperatures drop recently,” said Jessyca Keeler of Ski New Hampshire. “A lot of ski resorts have been making snow, but we’ve also gotten a lot of natural snow, at least up here in the mountains … so I think that’s going to be a great way to kick off the season.”
Keeler says that this could be a La Niña weather pattern year, which would mean a colder season, boding well for snowmaking.
While it is challenging to predict precipitation with these kinds of weather patterns, the forecast right now looks good for skiing and snowboarding, as well as cross-country skiing.
Trails at Great Glen Trails, based off Route 16 at the Mount Washington Auto Road in Gorham, are open seven days a week for skiing and snowshoeing. They reported 5 inches of fresh snow by Thursday morning.
Jackson XC is also among the areas now open.
New Hampshire's Division of Tourism and Travel predicts over 3 million people will visit the Granite State this winter.
The December holidays are important for ski resorts. Other big holidays, such as Martin Luther King Day weekend and February school vacation weeks, are peak times for ski areas.
“Christmas is a toss-up depending on weather,” said Karnan, at Cannon. “We have our fingers crossed for a white Christmas.”
Many ski areas offer incentives and ski deals. Ski New Hampshire has a list of some of them. At Gunstock Mountain in Gilford, which plans to open Dec. 6, residents of Belknap County can get full day ski tickets for just $49.
Keeler encourages visitors to plan ahead and consider skiing at different times, including possible night skiing, to get some deals. She recommends skiers and riders buy tickets in advance for the best deals.
NHPR's Dan Tuohy contributed to this story.
