|
[TALK SKIING & BOARDING IN THE SIX
STATES FORUM]
Ski & Snowboard
Preview 2007/08
11.14.07
Winter Forecast
According to mice and wooly bear caterpillars, snow is on the
way.
.jpg) Whether
you’re a septuagenarian farmer or a 20-something looking to shred some
powder, most New Englanders have their own way of forecasting what Old
Man Winter has in store. In September, the folks at Vermont’s Okemo
Mountain Resort asked around, and, at least according to acorns and
mice, this winter should be killer.
Okemo’s Cutting Edge
Learning Center Director Dan Bergeron noted that he saw more mice making
their way indoors this year — a sure sign that it’s going to be a cold
and snowy winter. Learning Center Snowboarding Manager Rob Bevier looked
upward to the oak trees for his snow forecast. He looked for a heavy
yield of acorns and said that this year looks like a bumper crop.
Okemo Marketing Director Scott Clarkson
has years of charts and graphs to review. His theory is that every fifth
year brings record snowfall. If his calculations are correct, we’re in
for it this winter. Okemo’s new snowboard ambassador, halfpipe legend
and Olympic medalist Ross Powers, bases his snowfall predictions on the
previous season’s precipitation. He says, “a dry summer with little to
moderate rainfall means it’s going to be a snowy winter ahead.”
Events Coordinator Jeff Alexander notes
the height of hornets’ nests, “When they build them high off the ground,
the snow will be deep.” Public Relations Director Bonnie MacPherson
bases her snowfall predictions on the appearance of the wooly bear
caterpillar. The larval stage of the tiger moth is a bristly black and
brown caterpillar, often seen crossing roads and sidewalks in the fall.
The width of its brown band is said to determine the severity of the
winter ahead.
Many Okemo staff members cite the Farmer’s Almanac as the tried and true
telltale. An article posted on
farmersalmanac.com
reads, “The famous Farmers’ Almanac long-range weather forecast is
calling for a long, cold, snowy winter in areas east of the Mississippi
River, with New England and the Upper Mid-Atlantic taking the brunt of
Old Man Winter’s fury. While that may be disheartening for some, it’s
great news for ski enthusiasts in the Northeast. Anyone who enjoys the
low, rolling mountains of the Northeast knows there is no better skiing
east of the Mississippi than in Vermont’s many unspoiled peaks. With
heavy snow predicted for much of the season, and average temperatures up
to 3 degrees colder than normal, Vermont, and nearby resorts in New
Hampshire and Maine, will be the place to be this winter.”
Okemo’s Vice President of Mountain
Operations Barry Tucker says the only thing he’s certain of when it
comes to predicting the weather is that there is nothing certain about
it. “I have faith in Mother Nature,” says Tucker. “I’m not going to
predict what she’s going to do.” The thing he is “totally confident”
about is that his crews won’t let a second of favorable weather
conditions go by that they’re not taking full advantage of.
Top Photo: Olympic medalist Ross Powers
catches air at Vermont's Okemo Mountain Resort. (Photo Okemo Mountain)
[TALK SKIING & BOARDING IN THE SIX
STATES FORUM] |
