Killington says it does not set an opening date. As soon as temperatures allow, the snowmaking team starts work, and the resort announces opening day through its mountain report, social media, app, text and email. Last year that meant 12 November, when it tied with Maine's Sunday River for the earliest start in the Northeast.
Pico, which sits in the same area, has taken the opposite approach. Its opening day is scheduled for Friday 11 December, with a planned closing day of 4 April. Bonanza Carpet, Golden Express Quad and Summit Express Quad are the lifts expected to run on opening day. Pico is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays outside peak periods.
Stratton and Sugarbush
Stratton is listed for Wednesday 18 November and Sugarbush for Saturday 21 November in the Ikon Pass list of tentative dates, which was updated on 17 September. Both depend on snow, snowmaking and conditions.
Where Are Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow?
Vail Resorts released opening dates for 11 resorts in August, covering California, Colorado, Utah, Washington and British Columbia, and said more would follow in the coming months. Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow were not among them. Last year the company named 22 November as the target for all three on 27 October, so a date may be only a few weeks away. Hunter in New York and Attitash, Wildcat, Mount Sunapee and Crotched in New Hampshire are also still waiting on dates.
Everyone Else Is Still Waiting
Jay Peak, Smugglers Notch, Bolton Valley, Mad River Glen, Magic Mountain, Bromley and Burke had no confirmed dates when I looked. Third-party sites show projections for some of them in late November and early December, but they are based on past openings, not on anything the resorts have said, so treat them with caution.
The Forecast Is Mixed
Last winter was one of the worst on record for the West but a good one for the East, which makes this year's El Niño an awkward fit for Vermont. OpenSnow's outlook favours below-normal snowfall across New England, including Killington, Stowe and Jay Peak, mainly because above-normal temperatures are favoured from December to March. It sees no clear precipitation signal for northern New England, and confidence on which months will be snowier is low. In its historical analogues, November, January and April lean neutral to slightly above normal, while December, February and March lean below.
Other outlooks disagree. Direct Weather expects above-average snowfall chances across the Northeast, with frequent nor'easters. The UVM state climatologist has said Vermont feels El Niño's effects less strongly than California, and NOAA's own analysis says the link to Northeast weather is not strong. In other words, the Green Mountains are not where this winter's forecast is most confident.
