It may be hard to believe that we’re a month into the ski season, but Whiteface kicked things off on November 17 with its earliest opening in nearly 10 years. Following rain and warm temperatures last week, snowmaking and grooming crews have been able get trails resurfaced quickly, and skiers heading to the slopes this weekend should see some of the best conditions of the season so far. I skied at Whiteface on Wednesday (you can read my report here), and was amazed at how good the skiing was just 36 hours after last Monday’s rain. Other skiers that I’ve spoken with report similar current conditions at Gore.

Titus Mountain, in Malone, is opened for the season Friday with 6 trails and 3 lifts. Oak Mountain, in Speculator opened the weekend before last. Both West Mountain and Willard Mountain began snowmaking operations last week and are expected to open soon.

This year’s downhill skiing season is off to a much better start than last year, thanks in large part to cold temperatures in November that allowed snowmaking crews to get a jump start on the winter. The crews at Whiteface and Gore are working to expand their trail counts, with the possibility of some additional terrain coming online for this weekend. The current forecast calls for favorable snowmaking temperatures over the next 15+ days, which should set the stage for good conditions during the Christmas holiday week. Snow is also in the forecast, though I learned long ago not to count the inches before they fall.

Photo: Snowmaking at Whiteface on Wednesday, Dec. 12.