# 12/26 - 27 Storm Discussion Thread



## Greg (Dec 26, 2010)

Snow has started here in CT - very fine, but sticking. 22.5*F. Calling for 1-2'.


----------



## wa-loaf (Dec 26, 2010)




----------



## powbmps (Dec 26, 2010)

Glad I'm heading out of town until Tuesday .


----------



## severine (Dec 26, 2010)

I'll believe 20" when I see it. Channel 4 showed a list of the biggest storms in CT. I don't know how accurate that list is, but it's been a LOOOOOOOOONG time since we had a storm that brought even in the neighborhood of 20".

ETA: They said 21" in 1983 and 18" in 1945 for a single storm, so yeah... not holding my breath.


----------



## snoseek (Dec 26, 2010)

Still trying to figure out if my little shit box will make it tomorrow! Going to get some new tires for starters.


----------



## billski (Dec 26, 2010)

severine said:


> I'll believe 20" when I see it. Channel 4 showed a list of the biggest storms in CT. I don't know how accurate that list is, but it's been a LOOOOOOOOONG time since we had a storm that brought even in the neighborhood of 20".



Severine, I generally share your skepticism, but in this case, I've more hope. 

This models are in general congruence and even the most cautious of forecasters are onto this one.  Everything seems to be lining up, and the models are now moving this even farther inland, now encompassing Albany, whereas last night it only extended to East of the Burks.  Oh Christmas tree!


----------



## billski (Dec 26, 2010)

You know, if the winds are as strong as they say, we could have better woods skiing than groomers!


----------



## severine (Dec 26, 2010)

I'm not doubting points north... I'm doubting for CT, which typically does not get huge snow storms.


----------



## billski (Dec 26, 2010)

severine said:


> I'm not doubting points north... I'm doubting for CT, which typically does not get huge snow storms.



I see your point.  All depends how far up that rain/snow line extends.

Look at this for forecast accumulations:


----------



## billski (Dec 26, 2010)

my gut is that if the winds stay from the north, you will stay in the snow substantially longer.


----------



## severine (Dec 26, 2010)

I would be pretty impressed... although our shovel broke over the summer and I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet.  At least I moved the stuff out of the driveway so the landlord's handyman can plow if he ever shows up...which he has a history of forgetting about us when it snows. :angry:


----------



## billski (Dec 26, 2010)

severine said:


> I would be pretty impressed... although our shovel broke over the summer and I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet.  At least I moved the stuff out of the driveway so the landlord's handyman can plow if he ever shows up...which he has a history of forgetting about us when it snows. :angry:



Me thinks Sev is gonna get some fantastic photo opps out of this!


----------



## Greg (Dec 26, 2010)

The last time I remember a legitimate 18+" here was around 1999. Most of our big snowfalls are in the foot range. Anything over 6" is just gravy to me.


----------



## Greg (Dec 26, 2010)

Greg said:


> Snow has started here in CT - very fine, but sticking. 22.5*F. Calling for 1-2'.



That initial little burst was short-lived. just a real light dusting. Judging by the radar though, it looks like the real thing should be starting by noon.


----------



## Greg (Dec 26, 2010)

First few flakes are falling now....


----------



## ctenidae (Dec 26, 2010)

Been steady and moderate for about an hour now in Norwalk. Grass is still showing, but it's sticking. Don't worry, Greg- it's coming.


----------



## Johnskiismore (Dec 26, 2010)

Yagoo is going to get nailed, I"M SO THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;-)


----------



## billski (Dec 26, 2010)

It looks to me like EVERYBODY IN CT, RI, MA, VT, NH is gonna get nailed!  Look at this 2:30pm model update.
The real storm started snowing in Flatlandachusetts about 2:30pm.


----------



## MommaBear (Dec 26, 2010)

severine said:


> I'll believe 20" when I see it. Channel 4 showed a list of the biggest storms in CT. I don't know how accurate that list is, but it's been a LOOOOOOOOONG time since we had a storm that brought even in the neighborhood of 20".
> 
> ETA: They said 21" in 1983 and 18" in 1945 for a single storm, so yeah... not holding my breath.



I don't think that is right - I can't remember what year it was but we were in FL, I think for MLK weekend, with all 3 kids - so it had to be after 2000 - and CT got 15-18".  I remember calling home to a neighbor to check on our house.  And arrived home to find they had kindly plowed our driveway.


----------



## KingM (Dec 26, 2010)

That's a big and welcome change from what they were showing for the north country just yesterday.


----------



## deadheadskier (Dec 26, 2010)

billski said:


> It looks to me like EVERYBODY IN CT, RI, MA, VT, NH is gonna get nailed!  Look at this 2:30pm model update.
> The real storm started snowing in Flatlandachusetts about 2:30pm.



:lol:

figures that pretty much all of New England is expecting 18 inches, yet Ragged, right smack dab in the middle is in the 8-10 zone.  :smash:


----------



## MommaBear (Dec 26, 2010)

KingM said:


> That's a big and welcome change from what they were showing for the north country just yesterday.



Had I seen those numbers earlier - instead of the 1 to 3" I saw yesterday, I would have been in the car headed north this morning.  Now its too late.


----------



## Glenn (Dec 26, 2010)

We drove back from vt this am. We hit a band of snow when we left.....until greenfieldish. Got home a bit before noon. Traffic heading north ws busy!  Most vehicles had a coffin, ski rack, or trailering sleds...it was a cool sight. 

Glad we got home when we did. We just got back from running some errands and it looks like traffic on the Merit is crawling along at about 35mph.


----------



## severine (Dec 26, 2010)

MommaBear said:


> I don't think that is right - I can't remember what year it was but we were in FL, I think for MLK weekend, with all 3 kids - so it had to be after 2000 - and CT got 15-18".  I remember calling home to a neighbor to check on our house.  And arrived home to find they had kindly plowed our driveway.



 I think they were doing single storm results so if there were consecutive storms over a weekend, then that would be different... Still, their data didn't seem right to me either... But it's been a while.


----------



## billski (Dec 26, 2010)

KingM said:


> That's a big and welcome change from what they were showing for the north country just yesterday.


  Yeah, the whole thing pushed inland.  And the north winds will be kind to the mountains upslope.

Explain to me again why my ski jacket is at the cleaners getting the grease cleaned off of it?


----------



## billski (Dec 26, 2010)

Glenn said:


> We drove back from vt this am. We hit a band of snow when we left.....until greenfieldish. Got home a bit before noon. Traffic heading north ws busy!  Most vehicles had a coffin, ski rack, or trailering sleds...it was a cool sight.
> 
> Glad we got home when we did. We just got back from running some errands and it looks like traffic on the Merit is crawling along at about 35mph.



Going to Mecca...


----------



## billski (Dec 26, 2010)

MommaBear said:


> Had I seen those numbers earlier - instead of the 1 to 3" I saw yesterday, I would have been in the car headed north this morning.  Now its too late.



I  really don't undestand these  islands of nothingness.  How can they possible predict this?   Except maybe for Riverc0il-ville, which prolly won't see any snow this winter!


----------



## Glenn (Dec 26, 2010)

billski said:


> Going to Mecca...



I'd love to be skiing tomorrow. I'm hoping some of the AZ Mt Snow crew will make some turns for us.  

What a storm though! Much different from what we're used to. Under promised and over delivered.


----------



## mikestaple (Dec 26, 2010)

This one is behaving as advertised.  Big huge flakes near the cape are starting to just so lightly switch into some rain.  Winds picking up and the electricity just flickered off for a good 5 seconds.  Just has to stay on until the Pack finishes off the Gmen!


----------



## ski220 (Dec 26, 2010)

MommaBear said:


> I don't think that is right - I can't remember what year it was but we were in FL, I think for MLK weekend, with all 3 kids - so it had to be after 2000 - and CT got 15-18".  I remember calling home to a neighbor to check on our house.  And arrived home to find they had kindly plowed our driveway.



It wasn't all that long ago - 2007.  I remember it quite well.  I was at Stowe and it was dumping.  In Stamford it snowed, rained, froze then changed back to rain.  My sister called to tell me I had water in my basement.  I drove back to deal with the mess and missed one of the most epic days in VT.


----------



## ski220 (Dec 26, 2010)

Right now it's blowing out of the east 25 mph and gusting to 45 at my house.  

Radar shows snow only getting to southern Vt. at this point.  Have to wonder whether points north will see much.???


----------



## roark (Dec 26, 2010)

Since I'm in Argentina I can guarantee this one will deliver for Magic. Enjoy all!


----------



## riverc0il (Dec 26, 2010)

Snow started within the past hour in Ashland. Coming down pretty good but not honking yet.


----------



## andrec10 (Dec 26, 2010)

Just drove home from a race at Berkshire East! Its usually a 2--2.5 drive. It took close to 4 hours! Roads were not that bad, you just could not see! Whiteout for 57 miles on the Taconic! I do love the Michelin X-ice snows though!!!


----------



## jaywbigred (Dec 26, 2010)

Yeah, we easily have 20+ in NJ already. I just shoveled.


----------



## carbonXshell (Dec 26, 2010)

Anyone care to guess when this picture was taken. A little hint... it was less than 5 years ago in central ct.





Uploaded with ImageShack.us


----------



## St. Bear (Dec 26, 2010)

jaywbigred said:


> Yeah, we easily have 20+ in NJ already. I just shoveled.



Not in western Jersey.  I just shoveled, and I wouldn't say there's more than 4-5 in Warren county, but it's hard to tell with the wind.


----------



## drjeff (Dec 26, 2010)

I'm guessing I'm approaching between 4 and 6" at my place at Mount Snow - the snow is light, and while the winds aren't too bad now (gusting to maybe 20-25 now), the snow is so light and fluffy that on the wind side of my place that the drift on my deck behind my grill is about equal in height as the cooking surface, while on th other side of my place, some of the pavement in the parking lot has been blown clean by the wind


----------



## SKIQUATTRO (Dec 26, 2010)

13" here on the north shore of LI at 1030pm,,,, winds howlin' lights flickering,,,, just did shoveling round 2 and took a drive to test out the burbans 4x4 and snowtires, handled great!!


----------



## ZYDECORICH (Dec 26, 2010)

solid foot....and it ain't Rex's.


----------



## Greg (Dec 26, 2010)

Had to tell here. Maybe 6". Getting dry-slotted big time right now. Hope this thing picks up....


----------



## KingM (Dec 27, 2010)

Got up early to shovel before breakfast. Maybe a skiff, a few pathetic flakes dropping from the sky. Wow, they should have stuck with their earlier forecast of nothing.


----------



## billski (Dec 27, 2010)

I am just thrilled  - so many resorts are gonna open up wide now,.  Magic reporting 12-15 down south.  I supposed Berkshire East will be wide open too.  Early enough to take advantage of the holiday week.  I hope the resort industry makes a fortune and customers spends a fortune.  I'll come out after they are all gone!!  
Wishing you best of snows in MRV KingM.  It will all even out in the end.


----------



## dmc (Dec 27, 2010)

14" on the ground here in Hunter... At least in my yard...


----------



## WinnChill (Dec 27, 2010)

KingM said:


> Got up early to shovel before breakfast. Maybe a skiff, a few pathetic flakes dropping from the sky. Wow, they should have stuck with their earlier forecast of nothing.



Certainly the screw-zone in NW VT--just out of reach from the heavier snow bands....sorry King.  While many area forecasts are working out, I should've adjusted that area down more.


----------



## nelsapbm (Dec 27, 2010)

I'm about 20 miles south and east of Burlington and it's been snowing since about 11pm but I couldn't tell you how much snow we have as the wind has been blowing it and drifting all morning. Can see bits of grass in my back field but have foot high drifts in the front of the house.


----------



## KingM (Dec 27, 2010)

WinnChill said:


> Certainly the screw-zone in NW VT--just out of reach from the heavier snow bands....sorry King.  While many area forecasts are working out, I should've adjusted that area down more.



Any chance it will be one of those things where it keeps snowing on the mountain on and off all day and suddenly they've got 16"?

(Trying to be optimistic. MRG's snow report this morning said 1 inch.)


----------



## WinnChill (Dec 27, 2010)

KingM said:


> Any chance it will be one of those things where it keeps snowing on the mountain on and off all day and suddenly they've got 16"?
> 
> (Trying to be optimistic. MRG's snow report this morning said 1 inch.)



While there'll be some light snow/flurries slowly tapering off into late PM/eve, moisture is really dwindling--dry air just off to your northwest.  We'll be hard pressed to get much more additional accumulations.  (I need to adjust MRG's forecast too...thanks for the heads up--it slipped through the cracks).


----------



## UVSHTSTRM (Dec 27, 2010)

In the lowlands of the Upper Valley NH we have 18-22 inches of snow in Claremont, some wind as well causing a ground blizzard from time to time.


----------



## severine (Dec 27, 2010)

I don't know how much we got...too much wind. But one of the gutters was blown off the house and the 2nd floor tenant's car is stuck behind mine in the driveway since the handyman, as predicted, did not plow. Good thing I wasn't planning on going anywhere.


----------



## jaywbigred (Dec 27, 2010)

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=OKX&product=PNS

NWS reporting 32 inches in nearby Elizabeth, and I'd say we have at least that at my house. On my walk to the covered muni lot I have to park in when it snows, there were drifts over my bell button level and I'm 5' 11". I wish we could send the snow north though. Snow in the flatlands is as useless as tits on a bull.

Mt. Snow reporting 19" this morning though, with a lot of lifts running. Like! And more to come hopefully.


----------



## Zand (Dec 27, 2010)

Dud here... maybe 8" if that.


----------



## SKIQUATTRO (Dec 27, 2010)

20" Here on LI (north shore)


----------



## Johnskiismore (Dec 27, 2010)

I'm going to say at my house 14-16 inches.  Shoveled the driveway and deck last night and today, the wind is really blowing it around.  Winter PDW!  Waa-hoo!  Loon tomorrow, Cannon Wednesday..... Kancamagus Rec Area tonight, rope tow and a lot of snow!


----------



## riverc0il (Dec 27, 2010)

Johnskiismore said:


> I'm going to say at my house 14-16 inches.


Double that at Cannon today. 28" sounds about right.

About 6-8" here in Ashland when I got up this morning. The wind is honking out there right now--snow is blowing totally horizontal-- so it is difficult to read a total. Definitely over a foot. Maybe a foot and a half? Just can't tell for sure with the wind. I bet ragged got a foot and a half for sure. Tenney should be skinable now as well.


----------



## Johnskiismore (Dec 27, 2010)

riverc0il said:


> Double that at Cannon today. 28" sounds about right.



Oh yeah, spoke to my ski patrol @Cannon friend and that is confirmed!


----------



## ski220 (Dec 27, 2010)

jaywbigred said:


> http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=OKX&product=PNS
> 
> NWS reporting 32 inches in nearby Elizabeth, and I'd say we have at least that at my house. ..



Well, it looks like Saddleback Maine and Elizebeth New Jersey were the big winners.

http://www.saddlebackmaine.com/conditions


----------



## RootDKJ (Dec 27, 2010)

I have 4-5 feet in my back yard depending on which way the wind is blowing at the moment.


----------



## WinnChill (Dec 27, 2010)

Bretton Woods - 34" :-o


----------



## Johnskiismore (Dec 27, 2010)

severine said:


> I don't know how much we got...too much wind. But one of the gutters was blown off the house and the 2nd floor tenant's car is stuck behind mine in the driveway since the handyman, as predicted, did not plow. Good thing I wasn't planning on going anywhere.



I feel your pain, a little while ago I went into town, and on my road there was at least a foot and drifting snow much deeper leading to Route 3.  Plow man is a no show.  The road goes uphill back to my house so I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it. Tried and failed.  Too much snow collecting under the car.  Drove .5 mile to a storage facility and parked there, walked back to my house, no sooner did I walk in the frigin plow guy roars up the road!!


----------



## St. Bear (Dec 27, 2010)

RootDKJ said:


> I have 4-5 feet in my back yard depending on which way the wind is blowing at the moment.



The snowfall line was so drastic.  Philipsburg is 9 miles west of me and got 3.5", Hackettstown is 9 miles east and got 7".  I probably fell somewhere around 5-6", and I can see grass in my front lawn, depending on which way the wind is blowing at the moment.


----------



## RootDKJ (Dec 27, 2010)

Between exits 41 and 44 on I-78 the snowfall amount changes by over a foot.


----------



## ski_resort_observer (Dec 27, 2010)

New snow/base in the northeast 12/27/10

Bretton Woods 34" 10-30"  
Saddleback 26-30" 20-36" 
Tuxedo Ridge 26" 44-57" Packed Powder 
Wildcat 24" 10-24" Powder 
Mt Peter 21" 24-60" Powder 
Cannon Mountain 21" 10-30" Powder 
Ski Butternut 20" 22-42" Packed Powder 
Jiminy Peak 20" 15-50" Powder 
Bousquet 19" 16-30" Powder 
Okemo Mountain 18-22" 30-45" Powder 
Catamount 18-20" 20-36" Powder 
Sugarloaf 18-20" 15-35" Powder 
Sunday River 18" 38-42" Powder 
Hunter Mountain 18" 30-75" Powder 
Woodbury 18" 26-60" Packed Powder 
Mount Sunapee 18" 24-42" Packed Powder 
Mt Abram 18" 14-22" Powder 
Bromley Mountain 17" 12-28" Powder 
Pineridge XC 16" 17-520" Powder 
Great Glen Trails XC 16" 3-5" Packed Powder 
Gunstock 16" 24-48" Packed Powder 
Mountain Creek 16" 20-35" Packed Powder 
Quechee Lakes 16" 18-30" Powder 
Mount Snow 16" 16-32" Powder 
Okemo Nordic Center 16" 2-12" Powder 





Snow Report Data provided by SnoCountry Mountain Reports

Back to Ski Welcome


----------



## ERJ-145CA (Dec 28, 2010)

My wife says we got about 18" or so at home, unfortunately I'm stranded in Rochester, NY.  Hopefully getting home tomorrow so I can ski Hidden Valley with my son on Wednesday.


----------



## ZYDECORICH (Dec 28, 2010)

25 here. 5 hours of snowblowing and shoveling. dead. can't wait to rake the roof tomorrow. ski wed or thurs at the creek.good storm...wow good storm.sleeeeeeep.


----------



## wa-loaf (Dec 28, 2010)

When's the next one? ;-)


----------



## drjeff (Dec 28, 2010)

wa-loaf said:


> When's the next one? ;-)



Of this magnitude??  Likely not for a LONG time


----------



## k123 (Dec 28, 2010)

wa-loaf said:


> When's the next one? ;-)



Possibly January 9th or 10th 

http://www.weatheradvance.com/northeast/here-we-go-again-this-is-going-to-be-a-long-winter


----------



## planb420 (Dec 28, 2010)

I was out for over 10 hours of straight riding @ Ski Sundown, it was a blast to watch the storm progress from nothing to FULL BLOWN BLIZZ conditions at some points on Gunny! Fresh powder stashes EVERYWHERE on the mountain and the institution was empty by 6ish (I LOVE BEING A LOCAL!!!!!   Less than 1 mile away:razz leaving wide open runs...I believe I also took a sweet digger in the pow off the step up while Greg was riding in the lift overhead!!!!!:beer:  THE PLACE WAS EPIC CANT SAY THAT ENOUGH, it was my best day out in a few years but my legs are TOASTED, but it was well worth it!


----------



## Greg (Dec 28, 2010)

Kind of a dud for me too. We got dry-slotted hard core. Maybe 8-10". Maybe a foot-ish. No way to tell. I go from 0-18"+ in my yard....


----------



## WinnChill (Dec 28, 2010)

Same here--snow hole across south-central NH overnight kept totals under a foot.  We finally got some heavier bands to wrap back in Monday morning for a few more inches--about 7-10" total.


----------



## drjeff (Dec 28, 2010)

WinnChill said:


> Same here--snow hole across south-central NH overnight kept totals under a foot.  We finally got some heavier bands to wrap back in Monday morning for a few more inches--about 7-10" total.



I felt like yesterday from what I saw at my place at Mount Snow compared to what I saw at my house in Northeast CT could be summarized by Dicken's opening line in _A Tale of Two Cities_  "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...."

Mount Snow - TOTALLY believe their 22" final total.  I had a drift across the entire width of my back deck that was mid-chest deep on me (and I'm 6'3")  no dry slotting across So VT!

Got home to my house in NE CT about 8:30 last night, I'd estimate the average snow depth on my driveway was 4 to maybe 6"  Probably 10% of the pavement showing do to the wind, deepest drift was 12, maybe 14". Re-watching the time lapse, mega dry-slotting on the 395 corridor in NE CT yesterday.  I'd guess that I ended up with somewhere arounf 6" total here in CT


----------



## WinnChill (Dec 28, 2010)

Did you see those snow bands just camped out over N NH and N ME?!  Whoa!  Those totals for Bretton-Saddle-Sugarloaf were intense!  :-D


----------



## drjeff (Dec 28, 2010)

WinnChill said:


> Did you see those snow bands just camped out over N NH and N ME?!  Whoa!  Those totals for Bretton-Saddle-Sugarloaf were intense!  :-D



Yup, my brother was lucky enough to arrive Sunday AM at Brettonwoods and is there through Thursday - some of the texts and pics he was sending me yesterday had me pretty envious of the "measily 20+ " I was in at Mount Snow :lol:


----------



## WinnChill (Dec 28, 2010)

Nice!  Glad you got some slope time!


----------



## severine (Dec 28, 2010)

The wind definitely made it interesting. All the snow is blown off the lawn in the front yard but the front sidewalk (which is lower than the yard) had snow between knee and hip deep when I shoveled it tonight.


----------



## awf170 (Dec 29, 2010)

ski220 said:


> Well, it looks like Saddleback Maine and Elizebeth New Jersey were the big winners.
> 
> http://www.saddlebackmaine.com/conditions



Saddleback has to have the most consistent over reporting in the east.  I have never seen them report less than Sugarloaf, and in most cases they report about 20% more.  Maybe they actually get more than Sugarloaf, but I kind of doubt it.  

Last 7 days: (straight from their websites)

Sugarloaf: 28-32
Saddleback: 49-53

So 21 inches more than Sugarloaf? I call bullshit on that.


----------



## WinnChill (Dec 29, 2010)

awf170 said:


> Saddleback has to have the most consistent over reporting in the east.  I have never seen them report less than Sugarloaf, and in most cases they report about 20% more.  Maybe they actually get more than Sugarloaf, but I kind of doubt it.
> 
> Last 7 days: (straight from their websites)
> 
> ...



Consider slope orientation.  Winds hitting slopes head on will enhance upslope snows.  Sugarloaf is N-NE facing, so as the storm was passing by Cape Cod, northeast winds gave them a good upslope component through morning/midday.  Then the winds shifted NW the rest of the day/overnight and beyond which favored Saddleback for a longer period of time and higher snow totals.  This storm really overperformed for Maine resorts mainly due to upsloping and some heavy snow bands just hovering over that area for a long period of time.


----------



## xwhaler (Dec 29, 2010)

As someone who has skied more days in my life at Sugarloaf and Saddleback than anyplace else, I will say that Saddleback typically does get a bit more snow than the Loaf.
The NW orientation certainly helps Saddleback as does the difference in elevation of the base lodges. 
Saddleback's base is 2,460 while SL is 1,417....certainly 1000' can make a difference I would think for non-major events when SB picks up a few quick inches while SL stays dry.

Furthermore, and I'm not sure how much this would come into play but it's worth noting. The Rangeley Lakes region is filled with big time lakes. Rangely and Mooselookmeguntic combine for over 24k acres of open water.  When you add in the other big lakes in the area, you are over 40k acres easily.

Again, unsure if this is enough to induce any kind of lake effect but if so, this is another advantage SB has over the Loaf.


----------



## snoseek (Dec 29, 2010)

I think the elevation alone explains why they get a bit more.


----------



## awf170 (Dec 29, 2010)

WinnChill said:


> Consider slope orientation.  Winds hitting slopes head on will enhance upslope snows.  Sugarloaf is N-NE facing, so as the storm was passing by Cape Cod, northeast winds gave them a good upslope component through morning/midday.  Then the winds shifted NW the rest of the day/overnight and beyond which favored Saddleback for a longer period of time and higher snow totals.  This storm really overperformed for Maine resorts mainly due to upsloping and some heavy snow bands just hovering over that area for a long period of time.



Maybe this is true for this storm, but Saddleback reports more snow for every single storm. 



xwhaler said:


> As someone who has skied more days in my life at Sugarloaf and Saddleback than anyplace else, I will say that Saddleback typically does get a bit more snow than the Loaf.
> The NW orientation certainly helps Saddleback as does the difference in elevation of the base lodges.
> Saddleback's base is 2,460 while SL is 1,417....certainly 1000' can make a difference I would think for non-major events when SB picks up a few quick inches while SL stays dry.
> 
> ...



Sugarloaf's base lodge is actually 1750 feet.  That extra 300 feet is the snubber chair, which doesn't matter. 

And Sugarloaf's summit is still higher.  

I think the difference is that Saddleback's trails are more protected from the wind, not that they get more snow.  If you look at trails like Misery whip, bubblecuffer, and winters way they hold snow super late into the season, later than many trails with snow making.


----------

