By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist
December 28,2012; 9:10PM,EST
Following a snow drought during the winter of 2011-2012, skiers and snowboarders of the Northeast are enthusiastic about a good ski season this year.
While November and early December had a slow and mild start, recent storms have delivered snow to the ski resorts of the Northeast.
"Overall, this season is off to a great start. After last year, it's exactly what we needed, what we wanted," Ethan Austin, communications manager of Sugarloaf Mountain Resort in Maine, said. "People are more optimistic this year. Last year was just kind of a downer for skiers."
Sugarloaf Mountain Resort currently has 1,000 acres open for skiing, which is about two times the normal. "This time of year, the average number of acres open is 400-500 acres or even less," Austin said.Four feet of snow has piled up at Sugarloaf over the past 12 days with active winter storms. A fresh 12-14 inches of snow was unleashed with the post-Christmas storm through Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012.
"We are already kick-starting an active storm track in the Northeast," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.
Pastelok first began talking about good ski weather in the Northeast back in August of 2012.
Ski areas down in the central Appalachians may get snow with the next couple of storms coming along as they track farther south, Pastelok said.
January is expected to be a busy month for East Coast snowstorms, so it appears conditions will stay favorable for skiing and snowboarding this winter.
"Arctic air invasions during the middle of January and a couple big systems mean plenty of snow coming our way," Pastelok said.It could be a lengthy ski season as well with cold expected to keep snow in place through February and into March.
- Feet of snow has piled up across far northern areas of the Northeast over the past two weeks, including fresh powder from a post-Christmas storm. The recent snow has skiers and snowboarders excited for the season.
- Sugarloaf glade run. Top to bottom.
- Morning.jpg
Burried under 12-14" of snow, and boy does it feel good. #TheLoaf ow.ly/i/1iV40- With an active coastal storm track expected to ramp up during January, good ski weather should continue well into the winter.
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- As of Dec. 28, 2012, 65 percent of the U.S. is covered by snow, according to NOAA.
- This time last year, only 25 percent of the U.S. was covered by snow.
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