April 29-30, 2017 and Recap of the 2016-2017 Ski Season

It's hard to believe ski season is all but over here in Quebec. It seems like yesterday we wrote the first column for this blog, hoping we would have a snowy winter as forecasted. In the end, this past winter was not what every skier dreams of, but it was certainly one of the better ones in recent history. The season started out promising, with plenty of cold weather for snowmaking and substantial snowfall over the Christmas holidays. We were spared dangerously cold temperatures in January, but we experienced a bit too much freezing rain and not enough snow. February was record-breaking warm, and we had almost two weeks of temperatures consistently above freezing, with plenty of rain. This was great for commuters and daily activities, but a pretty big bummer for the ski industry. March Break was one of the worst we've ever experienced, with many days of rain and low skier turnout.

Just as we thought we had seen the last of winter, we had one of the biggest snow storms in years. Ironically enough, it occurred on March 15, the day when you can legally install your all-season tires in Quebec. Local institutions like McGill University in Montreal were forced to close down for the first time in 20 years, motorists were stranded on Highway 13 overnight, and in the end, over 40 cm of snow fell. At some ski hills in the Eastern Townships, there was over 80 cm of snowfall, and Mont Sutton received well over 100 cm. Needless to say, there were some great powder days afterwards, ones that made up for the misery of the February tropical weather. The whole episode will definitely be remembered for a long time.

This season also brought about big news for the Quebec ski industry, namely the selling of Intrawest Resorts, the parent company of Tremblant, to an American conglomerate. It should be interesting to see how this affects its operations on a day-to-day basis, as well as future development.

As we reach the end of April, the number of ski hills open has dwindled rapidly. Here in Quebec, only Sommet Saint-Sauveur and Mont Sainte-Anne are left, with a few small regional destinations in the far north. Down in New England, there are six hills open for business, but four of them are closing this weekend, with a few dragging out operations to Monday, to reach the mystical May 1 date. Next weekend, only Sommet Saint-Sauveur, Jay Peak, and Killington will be open, with the possibility of Mont Comi. It's now or never, folks! The weather this weekend looks great, and it looks like it will be warmer tomorrow and cooler on Sunday. Conditions will obviously be prime spring skiing, with plenty of corn snow, bordering on slush depending on sun exposure and altitude. It's the time of year to bring out some softer skis, and avoid anything too fancy in case there is debris on the snow.

With bittersweet feelings, this post marks our last for the 2016-2017 ski season. Our openings list will continue to be updated on a weekly basis, and once the season officially ends, don't forget to check back for some updates this summer as well as our Instagram page. 

Next season, SlopeEdge will continue to expand, both in the regions we cover and the content we post, and we look forward to welcoming you back next Fall.