Just wondering around what time of the year does ski and snowboard season begin in New York/Pennsylvania area?

Question

Just wondering around what time of the year does ski and snowboard season begin in New York/Pennsylvania area?

Answer 1

Christmas week is the target date for most Pocono resorts. Elk Mountain and Sno Mountain usually shoot for December 15. PA gets very few early season snowstorms so snowmaking is essential...but also very expensive, so a lot of places will delay snowmaking until they can guarantee they'll keep the snow on the ground for Christmas week. Since the resorts depend greatly on skiers from the Philly and NYC metro areas they are less likely to blow snow earlier for us locals.

Hunter sometimes opens as early as Thanksgiving, but like most of the other Catskill resorts, the second week of December is usually the target date. Gore and Whiteface may open earlier. I'm not 100% sure when they open but it's probably December 15th as well.

Seven Springs and the western PA resorts rarely open before December 15. When I lived in VT my buddies from Seven Springs used to come up to ski with me in November at Killington. I'd assume the western NY ski areas operate on the same timeline.

Answer 2

In New York, the ceremonious first day of the season is always the Friday after Thanksgiving.  It's not a good day of skiing, just the first day of skiing, often created with a small strip of manufactured snow down a single slope.  But hey, tradition is tradition, right?

Skiing for real begins in January, that is when there is enough snow on enough trails for the school ski clubs to begin.  Skiing stays good through March.

There are exceptions.  Western New York gets the big dumps off Lake Erie, so areas like Holiday Valley and Kissing Bridge might open in November.  Northern New York, which goes all the way up to Montreal and is right next to Vermont, can also open in November due to altitude - better temps and precip. up there for skiing.

Pennsylvania, while only a few degrees south, often starts later and doesn't last as long.  The Great Lakes are a big help to NY skiing.

Answer 3

February

Answer 4

It depends on the weather but typically the snow is not great until January that may vary if you are out by Buffalo.

Answer 5

Depends on the ski area and seasonal temps. Some, like Hunter, blow a lot of snow to get an earlier opening. Usually you can count on sometime in December...but that really depends on the weather, and how much snow they blow.

Answer 6

right after thanksgiving....but it isnt any good till late december/early janurary

Answer 7

It depends on the seasonal weather and the storm fronts for good snow.  Most times it is after Thanksgiving, sometimes a while after like maybe New Years.  I always figure any opening before Thanksgiving is early.  This seems to hold true across NA with only a few exceptions.