Stowe, VT 01OCT2009

An image of the Hayride trail at Stowe, Vermont with snow and fall foliage after a September & October snowfall
Looking down Stowe's Hayride ski trail at the fresh October snow and brilliant fall foliage

For quite a while, the local weather gurus had been talking about the potential for local snow at the end of September/beginning of October.  Yesterday, reports started coming in of white in the mountains, and from UVM I could see the tendrils of snowfall crashing out along the Green Mountain spine.  It was looking like this morning would feature some real accumulations of snow, but yesterday evening the snowfall seemed to come to a halt.  I started to reconsider my thoughts of taking a morning trip up to Mt. Mansfield, but sometime after dark I checked the local radar and it looked like snowfall was blooming again.  I awoke this morning to see that there were still echoes on the radar, the temperature at the house was ~41 F, and our back deck was wet.  I suspected there had been some additional snow on Mansfield, so I hopped in the car and decided that I’d at least go for a hike before work.

While I couldn’t see much white at all on my drive to the mountain, as I finally got close to Mt. Mansfield, I could see that there was a good covering of snow from about the middle elevations of Spruce Peak on up.  I parked in the upper lot of the gondola (~1,600’) and there were a half dozen cars that looked like they could belong to other early morning folks checking out the snow.  Snow was falling all around me, and while it wasn’t sticking at the base, I could see white on the ground not far above.  At some point after 7:30 A.M., I strapped my skis on my pack and headed up Nosedive, hitting the snow line right around 1,800’.  The depth of the snow didn’t increase too quickly, only up to maybe ½ to 1 inch in depth by the 2,000’ mark.  I thought that the snow would probably be great for the junkboarders, but I wasn’t quite sure about those who were on regular skis.  Not long after I had that thought though, I met three skiers coming down Nosedive, right around the intersection with National.  They clearly seemed to be making due on regular skis and seemed to be enjoying it.  During my ascent it snowed most of the time, and occasionally the snow came down with moderate to heavy intensity.  Being starved for a bit of winter weather, I loved it.

Even by the top of Nosedive (~3,600’) the snow was only up to about 3 inches in depth, but I hiked on a bit farther to check out the Mt. Mansfield Stake.  There was some vegetation in front of the stake (~3,700’) that hadn’t let the snow settle all the way to the ground, but the depth of the snow was clearly less than 6 inches.  At least one vehicle had driven on the Toll Road, but I still popped on my old Telemark skis and did a little gliding in the untouched snow outside the tire tracks.  That was quite pleasant, although due to the minimal snowfall, there was the occasional crunch of a piece of gravel.  Not wanting to deal with the hassle of negotiating the steep terrain of Nosedive with somewhat minimal snow, I continued on the Toll Road and into the Ridge View area before deciding to take off my skis.  I had even made a few Tele turns on the snowy grass, but by around the 3,000’ elevation, a combination of wanting to head back in the direction of the Gondola via steeper terrain, and not wanting to put any real damage into my skis saw me strapping them back on my pack.  I’m not totally ready to commit the Hellgates to official rock ski status just yet.

Hiking up had been really enjoyable (I think it was the first time I’d hiked such a long distance in Tele boots without switching to skinning) but the vistas on the descent were spectacular.  With the dramatic scenes of white surrounding me, and the brilliant colors in the valley, I stopped frequently to pull out the camera.  My descent was somewhat meandering, taking me down through the Hayride and Lookout areas, before making it down to Crossover and down to the gondola lot.  The snow level on Mansfield looked like it had crept up a few hundred feet since my ascent, so it was certainly warming up.  Insofar as I can recall, I think today’s outing was the first time that things came together to allow me to ski on my birthday, so that made it even more of a treat that usual.  To check out all the pictures from the day, head to the Stowe trip report from today.

Waterbury, VT 2007-2008 winter weather and snowfall summary

Waterbury, VT 2007-2008 winter weather and snowfall summary

Elevation:
495 feet

How are the snowfall
measurements made?

     
 

Waterbury snowfall and weather
summary

Number of snowfall events: 53
Total snowfall: 203.2 inches
Snow depth days: 2,518
First frozen precipitation observed: 10/28/07
First snowfall observed: 11/7/07
Date of first measurable snowfall: 11/16/07
Date of last measurable snowfall: 4/14/08
Duration of measurable snowfall season: 150 days
Greatest snowpack depth: 34 inches (3/2/08)
Largest snowfall event: 19.2 inches (12/3/0712/6/07)
Last day with snowpack at the stake: 4/10/08
Last day with snowpack in the yard: 4/20/08
Last day with snowpack in the neighborhood: 4/26/08
Coldest temperature: -16.6 F (2/29/08)

Top five snowfall events
1. 19.2 inches (12/3/0712/6/07)
2. 16.5 inches (12/16/0712/17/08)
3. 16.4 inches (2/6/08-2/8/08)
4. 10.6 inches (1/1/08-1/2/08)
5. 10.2 inches (3/19/08-3/21/08)

Notable low temperature readings
1. -16.6 F (2/29/08)
2. -13.5 F (1/4/08)

 

Event

Date(s)

Snowfall
(in.)

Cum.
Snowfall (in.)

1

11/16/07-11/17/07

2.9

2.9

2

11/20/07

2.8

5.7

3

11/21/07-11/24/07

4.5

10.2

4

11/27/07-11/28/07

7.5

17.7

5

11/30/07-12/1/07

1.1

18.8

6

12/3/07-12/6/07

19.2

38.0

7

12/6/07-12/7/07

1.0

39.0

8

12/7/07

0.1

39.1

9

12/8/07

0.3

39.4

10

12/10/07

2.0

41.4

11

12/11/07-12/12/07

3.2

44.6

12

12/13/07

3.1

47.7

13

12/14/07

1.1

48.8

14

12/16/07-12/17/08

16.5

65.3

15

12/18/07

0.1

65.4

16

12/19/07-12/20/07

3.9

69.3

17

12/24/07

3.1

72.4

18

12/27/07

4.9

77.3

19

12/29/07

1.0

78.3

20

12/30/07

0.2

78.5

21

12/31/07

7.5

86.0

22

1/1/08-1/2/08

10.6

96.6

23

1/4/08

0.5

97.1

24

1/5/08

0.1

97.2

25

1/11/08

0.8

98.0

26

1/14/08-1/15/08

4.4

102.4

27

1/18/08

2.9

105.3

28

1/20/08

0.4

105.7

29

1/20/08

0.1

105.8

30

1/23/08-1/26/08

4.9

110.7

31

1/27/08

0.5

111.2

32

1/30/08

2.4

113.6

33

2/1/08-2/2/08

4.2

117.8

34

2/3/08-2/4/08

0.5

118.3

35

2/5/08

5.1

123.4

36

2/6/08-2/8/08

16.4

139.8

37

2/9/082/11/08

7.7

147.5

38

2/12/08-2/14/08

6.1

153.6

39

2/15/08-2/16/08

1.3

154.9

40

2/22/08-2/23/08

4.9

159.8

41

2/26/08-2/28/08

8.5

168.3

42

2/29/083/2/08

10.1

178.4

43

3/5/08

0.9

179.3

44

3/7/08-3/10/08

2.1

181.4

45

3/12/20-3/13/08

2.4

183.8

46

3/13/08

0.3

184.1

47

3/15/08

0.6

184.7

48

3/16/08

0.6

185.3

49

3/19/08-3/21/08

10.2

195.5

50

3/28/083/29/08

4.2

199.7

51

3/31/08

1.9

201.6

52

4/4/08

0.7

202.3

53

4/13/08-4/14/08

0.9

203.2

Storm
Rank

Storm
Total Snowfall (inches)

Storm
Date(s)

1

19.2

12/3/07-12/6/07

2

16.5

12/16/07-12/17/08

3

16.4

2/6/08-2/8/08

4

10.6

1/1/08-1/2/08

5

10.2

3/19/08-3/21/08

6

10.1

2/29/083/2/08

7

8.5

2/26/08-2/28/08

8

7.7

2/9/082/11/08

9

7.5

11/27/07-11/28/07

9

7.5

12/31/07

11

6.1

2/12/08-2/14/08

12

5.1

2/5/08

13

4.9

12/27/07

14

4.9

1/23/08-1/26/08

14

4.9

2/22/08-2/23/08

16

4.5

11/21/07-11/24/07

17

4.4

1/14/08-1/15/08

18

4.2

2/1/08-2/2/08

18

4.2

3/28/083/29/08

20

3.9

12/19/07-12/20/07

21

3.2

12/11/07-12/12/07

22

3.1

12/13/07

23

3.1

12/24/07

24

2.9

11/16/07-11/17/07

25

2.9

1/18/08

26

2.8

11/20/07

27

2.4

3/12/20-3/13/08

28

2.4

1/30/08

29

2.1

3/7/08-3/10/08

30

2.0

12/10/07

31

1.9

3/31/08

32

1.3

2/15/08-2/16/08

33

1.1

11/30/07-12/1/07

33

1.1

12/14/07

35

1.0

12/6/07-12/7/07

35

1.0

12/29/07

37

0.9

3/5/08

38

0.9

4/13/08-4/14/08

39

0.8

1/11/08

40

0.7

4/4/08

41

0.6

3/15/08

41

0.6

3/16/08

43

0.5

1/4/08

43

0.5

1/27/08

43

0.5

2/3/08-2/4/08

46

0.4

1/20/08

47

0.3

12/8/07

47

0.3

3/13/08

49

0.2

12/30/07

50

0.1

12/7/07

50

0.1

12/18/07

50

0.1

1/5/08

50

0.1

1/20/08

Date

Waterbury

Mt.
Mansfield

9/1/2007

   

9/2/2007

   

9/3/2007

   

9/4/2007

   

9/5/2007

   

9/6/2007

   

9/7/2007

   

9/8/2007

   

9/9/2007

   

9/10/2007

   

9/11/2007

   

9/12/2007

   

9/13/2007

   

9/14/2007

   

9/15/2007

   

9/16/2007

   

9/17/2007

   

9/18/2007

   

9/19/2007

   

9/20/2007

   

9/21/2007

   

9/22/2007

   

9/23/2007

   

9/24/2007

   

9/25/2007

   

9/26/2007

   

9/27/2007

   

9/28/2007

   

9/29/2007

   

9/30/2007

   

10/1/2007

   

10/2/2007

   

10/3/2007

   

10/4/2007

   

10/5/2007

   

10/6/2007

   

10/7/2007

   

10/8/2007

   

10/9/2007

   

10/10/2007

   

10/11/2007

   

10/12/2007

   

10/13/2007

   

10/14/2007

   

10/15/2007

   

10/16/2007

   

10/17/2007

   

10/18/2007

   

10/19/2007

   

10/20/2007

   

10/21/2007

   

10/22/2007

   

10/23/2007

   

10/24/2007

   

10/25/2007

   

10/26/2007

   

10/27/2007

   

10/28/2007

   

10/29/2007

   

10/30/2007

   

10/31/2007

   

11/1/2007

   

11/2/2007

   

11/3/2007

   

11/4/2007

   

11/5/2007

 

0

11/6/2007

 

6

11/7/2007

 

7

11/8/2007

 

7

11/9/2007

 

7

11/10/2007

 

7

11/11/2007

 

7

11/12/2007

 

6

11/13/2007

 

6

11/14/2007

 

5

11/15/2007

 

4

11/16/2007

 

13

11/17/2007

 

15

11/18/2007

 

15

11/19/2007

0

14

11/20/2007

1

15

11/21/2007

2

16

11/22/2007

2

16

11/23/2007

2

24

11/24/2007

1

27

11/25/2007

1

24

11/26/2007

0

22

11/27/2007

0

20

11/28/2007

5

22

11/29/2007

4

22

11/30/2007

0

22

12/1/2007

1

24

12/2/2007

1

23

12/3/2007

4

36

12/4/2007

14

40

12/5/2007

12

39

12/6/2007

11

40

12/7/2007

10

40

12/8/2007

10

41

12/9/2007

9

37

12/10/2007

10

37

12/11/2007

10

37

12/12/2007

11

38

12/13/2007

10

38

12/14/2007

14

42

12/15/2007

14

42

12/16/2007

15

51

12/17/2007

24

55

12/18/2007

22

54

12/19/2007

21

54

12/20/2007

21

55

12/21/2007

20

55

12/22/2007

19

55

12/23/2007

18

49

12/24/2007

13

51

12/25/2007

15

51

12/26/2007

13

51

12/27/2007

13

51

12/28/2007

14

53

12/29/2007

15

54

12/30/2007

14

54

12/31/2007

17

61

1/1/2008

18

64

1/2/2008

25

66

1/3/2008

23

65

1/4/2008

22

65

1/5/2008

21

65

1/6/2008

20

64

1/7/2008

18

63

1/8/2008

15

48

1/9/2008

12

42

1/10/2008

10

42

1/11/2008

10

43

1/12/2008

10

43

1/13/2008

9

42

1/14/2008

9

43

1/15/2008

12

45

1/16/2008

11

44

1/17/2008

11

44

1/18/2008

11

48

1/19/2008

12

48

1/20/2008

12

49

1/21/2008

12

48

1/22/2008

12

51

1/23/2008

12

56

1/24/2008

12

57

1/25/2008

12

58

1/26/2008

14

60

1/27/2008

13

62

1/28/2008

13

60

1/29/2008

13

59

1/30/2008

13

62

1/31/2008

13

62

2/1/2008

12

64

2/2/2008

16

65

2/3/2008

15

65

2/4/2008

15

65

2/5/2008

18

67

2/6/2008

16

68

2/7/2008

27

77

2/8/2008

27

78

2/9/2008

25

78

2/10/2008

25

85

2/11/2008

28

82

2/12/2008

27

80

2/13/2008

28

83

2/14/2008

30

83

2/15/2008

29

86

2/16/2008

28

86

2/17/2008

28

85

2/18/2008

25

77

2/19/2008

23

77

2/20/2008

23

77

2/21/2008

23

77

2/22/2008

23

81

2/23/2008

27

81

2/24/2008

26

81

2/25/2008

25

81

2/26/2008

23

81

2/27/2008

30

85

2/28/2008

31

87

2/29/2008

30

87

3/1/2008

29

90

3/2/2008

34

92

3/3/2008

30

90

3/4/2008

26

87

3/5/2008

25

88

3/6/2008

25

90

3/7/2008

25

90

3/8/2008

25

90

3/9/2008

25

96

3/10/2008

26

96

3/11/2008

26

94

3/12/2008

26

95

3/13/2008

26

95

3/14/2008

26

96

3/15/2008

25

96

3/16/2008

24

97

3/17/2008

24

98

3/18/2008

24

97

3/19/2008

25

100

3/20/2008

25

107

3/21/2008

29

110

3/22/2008

28

110

3/23/2008

27

108

3/24/2008

26

107

3/25/2008

26

106

3/26/2008

26

106

3/27/2008

25

106

3/28/2008

24

108

3/29/2008

26

109

3/30/2008

25

108

3/31/2008

24

107

4/1/2008

23

99

4/2/2008

20

96

4/3/2008

18

96

4/4/2008

17

98

4/5/2008

16

98

4/6/2008

16

98

4/7/2008

14

97

4/8/2008

10

97

4/9/2008

7

97

4/10/2008

4

94

4/11/2008

0

93

4/12/2008

 

92

4/13/2008

 

92

4/14/2008

 

92

4/15/2008

 

92

4/16/2008

 

92

4/17/2008

 

90

4/18/2008

 

89

4/19/2008

 

84

4/20/2008

 

82

4/21/2008

 

74

4/22/2008

 

71

4/23/2008

 

66

4/24/2008

 

61

4/25/2008

 

60

4/26/2008

 

59

4/27/2008

 

57

4/28/2008

 

54

4/29/2008

 

54

4/30/2008

 

54

5/1/2008

 

53

5/2/2008

 

52

5/3/2008

 

51

5/4/2008

 

51

5/5/2008

 

50

5/6/2008

 

47

5/7/2008

 

43

5/8/2008

 

41

5/9/2008

 

39

5/10/2008

 

38

5/11/2008

 

33

5/12/2008

 

30

5/13/2008

 

27

5/14/2008

 

24

5/15/2008

 

23

5/16/2008

 

20

5/17/2008

 

20

5/18/2008

 

18

5/19/2008

 

18

5/20/2008

 

18

5/21/2008

 

12

5/22/2008

 

11

5/23/2008

 

11

5/24/2008

 

10

5/25/2008

 

8

5/26/2008

 

6

5/27/2008

 

3

5/28/2008

 

3

5/29/2008

 

1

5/30/2008

 

0

5/31/2008

   

6/1/2008

   

6/2/2008

   

6/3/2008

   

6/4/2008

   

6/5/2008

   

6/6/2008

   

6/7/2008

   

6/8/2008

   

6/9/2008

   

6/10/2008

   

6/11/2008

   

6/12/2008

   

6/13/2008

   

6/14/2008

   

6/15/2008

   

6/16/2008

   

6/17/2008

   

6/18/2008

   

6/19/2008

   

6/20/2008

   

6/21/2008

   

6/22/2008

   

6/23/2008

   

6/24/2008

   

6/25/2008

   

6/26/2008

   

6/27/2008

   

6/28/2008

   

6/29/2008

   

6/30/2008

   

7/1/2008

   

7/2/2008

   

7/3/2008

   

7/4/2008

   

7/5/2008

   

7/6/2008

   

7/7/2008

   

7/8/2008

   

7/9/2008

   

7/10/2008

   

7/11/2008

   

7/12/2008

   

7/13/2008

   

7/14/2008

   

7/15/2008

   

7/16/2008

   

7/17/2008

   

7/18/2008

   

7/19/2008

   

7/20/2008

   

7/21/2008

   

7/22/2008

   

7/23/2008

   

7/24/2008

   

7/25/2008

   

7/26/2008

   

7/27/2008

   

7/28/2008

   

7/29/2008

   

7/30/2008

   

7/31/2008

   

8/1/2008

   

8/2/2008

   

8/3/2008

   

8/4/2008

   

8/5/2008

   

8/6/2008

   

8/7/2008

   

8/8/2008

   

8/9/2008

   

8/10/2008

   

8/11/2008

   

8/12/2008

   

8/13/2008

   

8/14/2008

   

8/15/2008

   

8/16/2008

   

8/17/2008

   

8/18/2008

   

8/19/2008

   

8/20/2008

   

8/21/2008

   

8/22/2008

   

8/23/2008

   

8/24/2008

   

8/25/2008

   

8/26/2008

   

8/27/2008

   

8/28/2008

   

8/29/2008

   

8/30/2008

   

8/31/2008

   

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