There is 4-8 inches of snow across most of the Adirondacks, with deeper snows – about 6-10 inches – across the Northern Adirondacks, and at higher elevations in the High Peaks, and nordic, downhill and some backcountry skiing has begun around the region.

Whiteface Mountain, in Wilmington, and Gore Mountain, in North Creek opened for the 2019-’20 season on Friday. They will remain open through the weekend, but may close during the week until Friday after Thanksgiving. Both mountains have begun using direct-to-lift radio-frequency identification (RFID) for Ski 3 Card holders. There’s a new cabin at the summit of Burnt Ridge Mountain at Gore.

Titus, just outside the Blue Line to the north, will be open Saturday and Sunday, from 9 am to 4:30 pm.  Oak Mountain is Speculator is hoping to open Dec 7th. McCauley Mountain has been making snow, but Mt Pisgah and West Mountain remain closed for now.

Nordic Skiing: Cascade Cross Country Ski Center has opened for the season as has Garnet Hill near North Creek; grooming is ongoing at those facilities. Mount Van Hoevenberg will open Saturday.  Construction continues for the new Mt. Van Ho base lodge, which is expected to open in the 2020-’21. Installation of the Mt. Van Hoevenberg mountain coaster has also begun, and is expected to open in November 2020.

At Paul Smiths there is about 5.5″ of snow on their trail system with a fresh inch on Thursday. Grooming will start Saturday November 30, but the trails are being skied. No skiing reported yet at the Tupper Lake trails, Dewey Mountain, or at Lapland Lake near Northville.

Back-Country Skiing: Expect to encounter blowdown remaining from the Halloween Storm, which was accompanied by high winds. Stream crossings are not yet frozen, but the smoother terrain, including roads, golf courses, and the Whiteface highway are are being skied. The Ausable Lake Road is skiable, and the Marcy Dam Truck Trail is skiable, but beware of obstacles. There is about 6-8 inches of snow in the Lake Placid area at lower elevations, and the Jackrabbit Trail has been skied from the top of McKenzie Pass above Whiteface Inn Lane to Rock and River in Keene (although skiing down to McKenzie Pond is not recommended). An update with more detailed conditions in the Tri-Lakes and High Peaks area can be found here, courtesy the Adirondack Ski Touring Council / Barkeater Trails Alliance. Additional conditions reports for back country skiing can be found on the Adirondack Backcountry Skiing Facebook Group Page.

Trails and lifts are subject to change. The most recent snow depths in inches reported in around the Adirondacks can be found here.

Photo of Snowmaking on Bear Mountain Summit courtesy Gore Mountain.