The cold gives way to a foot of snow in the Maine mountains!s

Sometimes the best ski days are the ones that are totally unexpected. While most of us in the northeast had suffered the affects of terribly cold weather this week and into the weekend, the forecast held out hope for some snow to end MLK weekend. Sure, the models only showed a few inches in the mountains, but a few inches is better than none and all skiers know that if it’s going to snow, the temps can hover around zero, it’s just not possible for snow to fall with temps so low.

As the weekend got closer and people got more and more giddy, the snowfall estimates began to grow until we woke up Sunday morning to a fresh blanket of the white stuff and light fluffy snow continuing to fall. The initial estimates of 4-6 inches at Sunday River had given way to a good foot and with the previous days of cold temps, the crowds had stayed away. It was one of those days that we like to call epic and while they don’t come along all that often, we appreciate these days more when they are unexpected.

Crazy weather hampers holiday week!

Yesterday brought a close to what was a crazy month of weather throughout the northeast. With vacation week in full swing at Sunday River, the resort has battled the wind all month long and has had most lifts closed on many days, including each day this past week. And while this has made some people unhappy with the mountain, it’s pretty unfair to blame them for closing lifts with dangerous wind conditions. Along with the safety of the guests and preventing damage to the lifts themselves, the wind out of the northwest can wreak havoc and like everybody else, Sunday River carries a heavy amount of insurance during the season. So just think about the premiums you pay each year for auto insurance for one car and then think about 500,000 visitors, 17 lifts, hundreds of employees, and all the buildings and structures. That’s a lot of money and not worth pushing it on dangerous days!