Forget roses. What skiers and snowmobilers always want for Valentine’s Day is snow. And down it came.
Fresh powder piled up on Vermont Association of Snow Traveler trails that had been dangerously icy in spots. VAST Interim Executive Director Matt Tetrault said groomers have been scrambling to pack it down in time to get the most out of the three day weekend, and the school vacation week following Presidents’ Day.
“It should be good, especially on Sunday, when a lot of the grooming fleet has been out and has had a chance to pack stuff down," Tetrault said. "And [we] just want to caution riders there is a lot of ice underneath the snow and there [are] going to be some hazards out there, so ride safely and enjoy the trails.”
Tetrault said snowmobilers spend a lot of money in Vermont’s small towns, and even though the season may have gotten off to a slow start, the new snow will help to boost tourist trade for weeks to come.
That’s true for ski resorts, too.
Several Vermont ski areas opened before Thanksgiving, and even though weather has been challenging, snowmaking has made for a fairly good season so far, especially over the Martin Luther King Day weekend. Parker Riehle, president of the Vermont Ski Areas Association, said the next two weeks are the most important.
“It’s a really important income impact generator for the state in terms of rooms and meal tax revenues, sales tax revenues," Riehle said. "The epic snow that’s here is bringing the crowds in big time, obviously for the big three-day weekend, but again for the next two weeks of school vacations that come afterwards.”
In fact, he added, a storm this big can create enough momentum to keep cash registers ringing through the whole season. He said skiers spend about $700 million in Vermont every year, and that the state is on track to meet or exceed that target.
