Osceola and the Tug Hill Plateau mean changeable weather...
lake ef*fect snow (noun)
"snow falling on the lee side of a lake generated by cold dry air passing over warmer water, especially in the Great Lakes region. " --definition from Oxford Languages
...happily there are many ways to check on conditions before you jump in the car...
SCROLL DOWN FOR DAILY SKI/SNOW CONDITIONS and/or:
WINTER 2024-25
12/11/24 Current temp 40 degrees at 6:30 am the high today is 43. Bad news: We are closed due to widespread rain today, good news: precip is expected to change into snow this evening and we hope to get 3-5 inches so we can open this weekend--keeping an eye on wind direction, which will determine where the lake effect snow lands. Have a great day.
12/10/24 Current temp 35 degrees at 6:30 am the high today will be 42 with chance of light rain this afternoon. Reminder: we are CLOSED on TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS throughout the winter season, except for overnight lodgers and by appointment. Thomas usually has equipment to work on and chores to do and today is no exception. Have a great day.
12/9/24 Current temp 32 degrees, the high today will be 38 again and the NYSMesonet is promising light snow rather than rain in our little divot on the Tug Hill Plateau. Thomas will be working on equipment this morning--the Kubota threw a track yesterday during trail work. Managing more than three feet of snow followed by above freezing temps proved to be one of the most, if not the most challenging grooming projects to date. Saturday's powder is now well packed and snow depth at the weather station has compacted to 22 inches. With warm temps, spring-like conditions prevail, which all things considered, isn't to shabby. Seventy-five percent of trails are rolled, some are groomed corduroy (mostly the flat/gently rolling trails) and some are back-country style with a human pioneer track only. Have a great day,
12/8/24 Current temp 29 degrees at 6 am the high today will be, gulp, 38 (spring conditions before we even get our winter on??) So today's dilemma is the temperature. Yesterday it was: how to manage over 3 feet of fluffy, lake effect powder? The Kubota UTV ended up being our workhorse yesterday. The snowmobiles were just too squirrel-y in such deep snow. It was a challenge to stay upright and get the machine to turn the way you intended it to go. Hills proved unconquerable. We got the flats packed but that was a full day effort. Today it is already above freezing, which in the grooming world is far from ideal to be touching the snow. Ideally, the time for grooming would have been three or four hours ago in the middle of the night when the fresh stuff had a little time to compress but it was still below freezing. However, Thomas is not a robot and after a hard day's work, everyone has to get some shut eye. So we will do our best today and hope to pack all trails as soon as possible. Then, sadly, we will keep all machines off the trails for the foreseeable future. Extended forecast shows temperatures in the 40s and, sigh, rain. Spring conditions for sure, but with a 3 foot base we hope to weather this balmy trend until winter can wrestle back the upper hand. Come up if you like to ski in shorts and a t-shirt, that will be today's uniform, I think. Have a great day,
12/7/24 Current temp 22 degrees at 5:45am, the high today will be 24. While making a reservation last night for our trailside lodging, KD asked if there is such a thing as too much of a good thing? To say so would be blasphemous and we don't want to discourage Mother Nature...but we are definately swimming in it! In fact, first ride out on the snowmobiles to begin the process of packing and grooming for your skiing pleasure is akin to surfing a wave. So much fun (but beware the wipeout!) Snow depth at our NYS Mesonet weather station reads 28 inches, up from yesterday's 12 inches, with an additional 4-5 expected by dark. The wider backcountry ski wins the day today as trails will be pillowy soft until all this fresh powder begins to compress. Hope you have good tires (no worries though, this ain't the first rodeo for our road crew on the Tug HIll Plateau) and you can make it up to beautiful Osceola, conditions are perfectly gorgeous for the snow lovers today and you won't want to miss all this manna from heaven. Have a great day,
UPDATE: 9 am...Snow depth at weather station = 31" but Osceola XC Snow Measuring Stick (Thanks again, Rosie!) says 42" ...either way it's A LOT!! This will take all day to manage, TODAY IS BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS. Skaters don't be haters, you are better off at Clinton Square, haha!
12/6/24 Current temp 15 degrees at 5:45 am, our high today is expected to be 23 degrees and we are swimming in snow--hooray! Hard to gauge exactly how much we received yesterday due to the high wind blowing everything around, but the snow depth at the weather station now reads 12 inches which is a great base to work with. Thomas will be patting it down this morning and we are expecting another hefty round this evening, perhaps as much as another 12-15 inches?? This is very much appreciated with the holiday break only two week away. His goal is to pack a base that can withstand the warming trend forecast next week. Are you ready to get your ski on? Hope to see you in Osceola this weekend,
12/5/24 Current temp 28 degrees at 5:30 am the high today is 31 degrees and we are still under a winter storm warning. Snow depth as measured at our NYS Mesonet weather station reads 5 inches as this wet snow continues to compact. Thomas took a spin around the trails yesterday to check coverage and there are still low spots under the heaviest tree cover, hopefully those will fill those in with the additional 5+ inches of snow today and 6-8 more forecast for tomorrow. If this materializes, Thomas plans to at least roll trails to begin packing the base and we hope to open Friday through the weekend. If you can find the time, go find some snow to play on (Winona? Inman Gulf?) and have a great day.
12/4/24 Current temp 27 degrees at 7:30 pm, we are watching the winter storm warning with fingers crossed. This one looks to be a direct hit and we are hoping to gain enough snow for a soft opening this weekend. Remember to check out the two camera links at the top of this page for visual confirmation of trail conditions. Thanks for the prompt, TD, stay tuned and have a great evening.
12/1/2024 Welcome to meterological winter! Current temp 23 degrees at 8:30 am (it's nice to sleep in and start the day slow--a rare treat with a new puppy) high today of 31 with just a dusting of new snow expected when the lake effect band makes a quick slump towards Syracuse later today. Watertown and the northern part of the Tug HIll are the big winners with this storm, scoring several feet of snow. Oh well, can't be a hater, we will get ours...Enjoy the snow where you can find it and have a great day.
11/30/24 current temp 25 degrees at 7am, only a dusting of new snow expected to top off the inch of compacted snow from the last few days. Yup, this storm gave us the kiss off and is pounding the heart of the Tug Hill north of Osceola. The grass is covered (barely) and your better bet today is the northside of Winona Forest, or other trails above our corner of the universe. If you go in search of skiable snow, drive safe and have a great day.
11/28/2024 5: 30pm current temp 33 degrees, wind chill 30, low tonight 25. Deja vu all over again...except the big snow looks like it will drop well north of Osceola this weekend. This time last year, we got 3 feet of snow, but the ground wasn't frozen so it was gone within a week. With any luck we can do a bit of packing and if temps stay cool we can begin a base. Hope to be skiing sooner rather than later. Snow dances are welcome--do what you can for the cause and Happy Thanksgiving!
11/14/2024 7:30 am current temp 30 degrees, high of 43 with filtered sun. We welcome the chill weather pattern and hope for snow soon. After a beautiful weekend of racing, we are back to trail maintenance and readying for the winter season. Fingers cross it comes soon! Have a great day,
11/7/24 Release the hounds!! We are ready to welcome racers, volunteers, and spectators this weekend for our first Dryland Dogsled Challenge hosted by thr PA Sled Dog Club. Races begin 9am Saturday and 8:30am Sunday. With various classes (6-dog/4-dog/2-dog/1-dog/rig/scooter/bikejor/canicross it will be close to dark before we wrap each day. Prepare for a canine carnival complete with lots of excited barking--these pups and their humans are serious athletes and competition is high but friendly. Mother Nature is cooperating with a chilly change in temps this weekend. Friendly reminder to dress warm, don't bring pet dogs and always stay clear of the trail. Hope to see you this weekend in Osceola.
10/18/24 The weather is finally turning colder and thoughts of skiing peoccupy the mind again. We are looking forward to the upcoming season but before the snow flies, we are excited to announce a new sporting event coming up this November--the Osceola Tug Hill Dryland Challenge, Nov. 9th and 10th. Thanks to the Pennslyvania Sled Dog Club "Promoting safe and humane racing, driving and training of sled dogs since 1971," we are hosting a dryland dogsled race here at the ski center. Spectators are welcome and Kandi's Food Truck will be on-site to offer breakfast and lunch. On-site camping also available. For more information visit the club's Races and Events webpage:
https://www.pasleddogclub.com/races-events
This should be fun!
8/18/24 Current temp 71 degrees with showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. We have been working on clearing trails and putting up firewood. We are excited to announce a new event at OTHXCSC--Thanks to the Pennslyvania Sled Dog Club, we are hosting the (first annual?!) dryland dogsled races here at the ski center. The dogs are in for a treat because our trails, carpeted with moss, ferns and grass are beautiful even when it's not ski season! Spectators are welcome and Kandi's Food truck will be back to offer breakfast and lunch on site. Stay tuned for more details.
COUNTDOWN TO THE TOTAL ECLIPSE
4/8/24 Current temp 24 degrees at 7am, clear skies. TODAY IS THE DAY!! So very exited to see day turn to night. Eclipse begins at 2:10pm and totality hits at 3:22 pm (and 59 seconds) and lasts for 2 minutes 58.4 seconds. We've got eclispe glasses if you need them and will be in the field all day. Come early and hike the trails, bring a picnic or something to grill, chairs and/or a blanket. This is gonna be a great day!
4/7/24 Current temp 53 degrees at 2:30 pm, snow depth zero. It's beautiful sunny day and unlike Texas, we are expecting mostly sunny skies in Osceola tomorrow for the eclipse. Come early if you can: hike the trails, bring a picnic, if you are a musician, bring your instrument. The actual eclipse begins at 2:10 pm, but totality occurs at almost 3:23 pm (3:22 minutes, 59 seconds) and Osceola will experience totality for 2 minutes 58.4 seconds.
SKI SEASON 2023-24
The ski season may be fading in our memories (byeee, don't let the door hit you on your way out) but please come visit us on April 8th to witness the total exclipse of the sun with us!! Osceola is in the PATH OF TOTALITY which is worth the short drive to see this amazing sepectacal of nature. We are planning a viewing party in the open field and don't expect any big traffic jams like some other spots in the path--see our "What's New/Eclipse" page for details.
3/28/24 Current temp 35 degrees at 8am, the high today will be 42 and cloudy. Thomas is taking the plow off the truck today so you know what that means: we are almost guaranteed to get another dump. Fingers crossed, we will have another grand re-opening like we enjoyed last weekend...until then I am hanging up my "trail conditions" hat but will pop on from time to time to offer updates on our off season projects, both trail-wise and building-wise...and of course for the TOTAL ECLIPSE!! Thanks for visiting us this winter. Hope you enjoy plenty of outdoor time before we see you again. Have a great day.
3/25/24 Current temp 26 degrees at 8:15 am, the high today will be 42. Thermometer will be above freezing by noon and another bright sunny day means the fun will unzip rapidly. This weekend was an unexpected blast, but rocks are already beginning to show on some of the more skied off trails and rain is coming mid-week, so we won't make it to next weekend unfortunately. Thank you to all who came out for a last hurrah...unless we get another decent snowstorm, we are CLOSED for the season again. Have a great day.
3/24/24 Current temp 1 degree at 5:30 am, the high today will be 32 around 3pm. Today will be the pick day of the weekend, with plenty of sunshine and calm winds. The warmth of yesterday followed by the cold night will give us packed powder conditions today with now tranformed, old snow crystals, which means a lot less sticking than yesterday. If you want to test your ski's wax job, fresh powder with its sharp pointy edges and temps near freezing is all you need. Even so, folks still gave yesterday a 2 thumbs up...after all it's hard to complain when we have SNOW to play on. But beggars are winning the lottery today: trails will be refreshed with the Ginzu and slightly firmer than yesterday. Skate skiers and classic striders both will be faster today, especially in the am before the thermometer and sunshine make their impact. Enjoy this while it lasts and have a great day.
BTW, did you see the full (Worm) moon last night? Did you know TONIGHT we will experience a lunar eclipse before the main show April 8th when we are in the PATH OF TOTALITY. Both are worth checking out. Mother nature is putting on a show and you don't want to miss it!
3/23/24 WELCOME TO WINTER 2.0 * WE ARE OPEN ALL WEEKEND!!! Current temp 24 degrees at 7:30 am the high today will be 30. It's snowing now and light snow will continnue to add another 3-4 inches before it tapers off mid-afternoon. Over the last several days we have recieved over a foot of new snow. Trails are packed powder and the conditions are mid-winter primo. Thomas is rolling again this morning to bat down the 6 or so inches that fell overnight and will follow up with the Ginzu. I went for a stick picking up ski after work yesterday so trails are nearly debris free--nothing but fluffy white corduroy today. Thomas will continue to pack skate lane throughout the day and will set track where possible. Gotta make the most of this last (?) windfall of snow. Roads are clear and the big snow totals landed to the east of Osceola, so hope you can make it over and get on skis or snowshoes before this melts in the spring sun. Have a great day.
3/22/24 Current temp 14 degrees at 9:15 am the high today will be 27. Thomas is out grooming this morning before the storm rolls in tonight. We are now expecting approx 8 inches new snow between tonight and tomorrow morning before things start to taper off in the afternoon. We have full coverge and rock skis are no longer necessary. We will be OPEN both Saturday and Sunday. Hope you can make it to Osceola for this encore performance of WINTER! Have a great day.
3/21/24 Current temp 17 degrees at 6:30 am, the high today will be 24 with light lake effect snow showers possible throughout the day adding another inch or so of fresh powder. Thomas has an appointment in Syracuse this morning, but plans to work on the trails after that. We will definitely be OPEN THIS WEEKEND! Unfortunately he has another appointment tomorrow (what?? we though the season was over, didn't you?), so we will not be open Friday, but this weekend could be primo conditions for both classic and skaters with another 5 inches of new snow coming Friday night. Where was this stuff a few weeks ago?? If you haven't given up the urge to ski, take advantage of this windfall and come visit Osceola this weekend and have a great day.
3/20/24 Current temp 31 at 5:30 am, the high today will 33 degrees. The irony is not lost on us. We received enough snow overnight to build a respectable base to separate skis from rocky terrain. Thomas has a few downed trees to block up today and is planning to groom for later this week, when it might make sense to REOPEN?!? It looks like we might even get another wave of new snow this weekend (?) so Friday might be a good day to play hooky. Just saying. Have a great day.
3/19/24 Current temp 19 degrees at 8 am, the sun is shining but the forecast is for more light snow showers today, tomorrow and the next day with temps mostly below freezing all week. Sounds tempting, but the ground is no longer frozen (34.3 degrees at 2 inches) and our base is long gone. Thomas may zip around on a machine to see what's what and pick up sticks from the neglected trails, but the best we can offer today is primative skiing. If you are lucky enough to not have to work today, and planning a visit, bring your rock skis--the grass is fully hidden, but just barely. Take care on hills, a rock may be lurking to upset you. Not enough to groom just yet, though if the forecast pans out and we get another 10 inches over the next three days, that might be enough to corduroy?? Stay tuned and have a great day.
3/18/24 Current temp 30 degrees at 8 pm and it is snowing in Osceola...with 2 inches on the ground, Thomas is itching to groom...cross your fingers and skis and stay tuned tomorrow morning, I hope to offer an invite to play...
3/11/24 Current temp 27 degrees at 5 am, the high today will be 34. It's SNOWING, woohoo! But it's such a tease because there is only a new inch or so on the no longer frozen ground, so this storm is a BUST for skiing. I was hoping we could enjoy a short encore with this storm but it will take more than we received to make the trails skiable again. Game over, I am afraid. But please come visit us on April 8th to witness the total exclipse of the sun with us!! We are planning a viewing party--see our "What's New/Eclipse" page for details. Have a great day.
3/3/24 Didn't think I'd be typing this soon and this is not a trail conditions post, but I wanted to get a note out to our CREDIT CARD customers of January 20, 2024. Our credit card processing company ended up double-billing ALL cc customers that day (may also show on your bill as 1/21/24) as a result of assisting us when we had trouble settling our batch that evening (thanks for the help, guys) We only learned of this problem when one of those customers contacted us (thank you, MS) and we called TYSY to find out what up (this was not a case of cards being double swiped at the point of sale) We learned the error involved each and every customer that day (!) and were assured they would correct ALL errors in the batch...but also learned they have no process for communicating this was their error not ours and in the process of being resolved in (3-5 business days, of course) Grrr. Please keep an eye on your cc billing statement and do not dispute the double charge as it should be resolved by now. Call me with any concerns (315-558-4557) and I will try not to fill your ear with all the reasons why I hate credit cards.
3/2/24 Current temp 35 degrees at 6:30 am, the high today will be 41 with rain showers all day. Sigh. It was the rain on the metal roof that made me sleep in...and knowing we would be CLOSED today and most likely for the season. I have to admit some mixed feeling on this. I will enjoy the break from working 7 days a week and getting onto the computer first thing in the morning. It has been a rough winter with possibly more days closed than open (I haven't had the heart yet to go back and count). This was the winter that almost wasn't and snow enthusiasts were hobbled and chasing snow ever since the big dump we were teased with in late November. Little Osceola was luckier than most places, but all winter recreation businesses in NY struggled to keep the fun going. I hate to throw in the towel so early, and I still hold out hope we get a spring blizzard that let's us play on snow for a few more days before we have to stow the skis away for good. In that case, we will open, conditions allowing, regardless of what day of the week it is. For now though, we will say au revoir and thank you for visiting this year. It's the good people we meet that makes all this hard work enjoyable. Although the daily trail conditions posts will stop, check in for updates and special events throughout the year. Oceola is in the path of totality so our first planned event is an eclipse viewing party on Monday, April 8th with live music (Jo Lynn of Kindred Moon Dog Sled fame is also and amazing fiddler!) Kandi's food truck will be back, and arts and crafts for sale (tye dye tees from RD, henna hand painting, and lots more) Stay tuned for more details and have a great day!
3/1/24 Current temp 19 degrees at 6 am, the high today will be 40 degrees by noon with lots of sun. Sadly, we are CLOSED. If we were open, I would definately recommend you use your rock skis because there is no avoiding the windswept debris on the trails. After the rain and 60 degree weather and whipping winds, Osceola only received a few inches of snow while other other areas just south of us were the big winners in this latest lake effect snowstorm. Oneida received a foot and a half of snow. We could have used that up here. We spent yesterday on the trails bucking up trees that fell and picking up sticks and larger branches. So much debris, especially in the pines, I contemplated raking the miles of trails. With warmer temps and rain in the forecast, this weekend is looking sad as well. Unless we get a big dump of snow, the fat lady may have sung and this underwhelming winter will be in the rearview mirror. Start plotting your garden and have a great day.
2/29/24 Current temp 16 degrees at 9 am (power is out in Osceola I had to take a fieldtrip into Camden with my phone to post this), the high will be 21 with dappled sun/clouds and a chance for another inch or 2 new snow this afternoon. We recieved only a few inches last night, not enough to cover the crust, especially with the wind whipping it around. So we are CLOSED today. This weekend looks sketchy with warmer temps returning but stay tuned and have a great day.
2/28/24 Current temp 47 at 6 am, the high today will be (gulp, gasp) 62. We are CLOSED TODAY but keeping an eye on a crazy cold front heading east which promises to dip temps into the teens overnight and bless us with a few inches new snow. Lake effect snow is famously fickle so we will have to see where the persistent bands set up to determine how much snow will accumulate in Osceola with this fast moving storm. Of course, any new snow is appreciated and we will open as soon as tomorrow (Thursday) and into the weekend if conditions allow. Stay tuned and have a great day.
2/27/24 Current temp 34 degrees at 5:45 am, today's high will be 56. Winter break is over, so now we get a wee summer break, well why not?? Mother Nature continues her bipolar trends with a few days in the high 50's, then several inches of snow forecast for Wednesday evening into Thursday. We will be CLOSED TODAY (Tuesday) and tomorrow. It's best to keep folks off the snow during this warm blast to preserve the base we worked hard to pack, but conditions may be favorable to reopen Thursday and enjoy another decent weekend of skiing? Stay tuned and have a great day in spite of this boomerang weather.
2/26/24 Current temp 30 degrees at 6 am, the high today is 40. Winter break is in the rearview mirror and the skiing is still great in Osceola with a base of 11+ inches despite crazy fluctuations in the weather. Mostly sunny today, trails will get softer as the day progresses, so early bird gets the worm. Luckily the ground is still frozen (31.6 degrees at 2 inches), so maybe that isn' the best analogy, but it will help us get through the rollercoaster temperatures we are going to see in the next several days. Record highs followed by dipping thermometer on Thursday and more snow (could set us up for another great weekend heading into March). We still have full coverage and trails have been completely renovated back to packed powder so there is still great skiing to be had today. We will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday), so head on up to Osceola if you don't have a job that gets in the way of that. Have a great day.
P.S. Spring is in the air, but the ski season is not yet over in Osceola! We are holding a MARCH MADNESS special on trailside lodging at the ski center: for the month of March we are offering a discount on rooms: 1 room/$75, 2 rooms/$125, 3 rooms/$175. First come, first serve, call Kristin at 315-558-4557 for reservation.
2/25/24 Current temp zero at 5:45 am, the high today will be 34 with plenty of sunshine. We received a surprise dusting of snowflakes overnight which will be nice to blend in with the granular snow Thomas manufactured yesterday with the help of the YTS Ginzu groomer. Yesterday was a challenging day for grooming, happily today will be easier with temps rising out of the teens. With rain, then warm, then arctic cold temps over the last few days, Thomas needed to harness his inner Rumpelstiltskin and transform the icy crust back into the powder we prefer to ski on. Every pass on the trails equals a softer surface and he spent most of the day yesterday grinding it out, but conditions will still be firm and fast today. Skaters are loving this and it's hard to believe we will be climbing into the 50's later this week. For now though, we can enjoy the final day of winter break. Come play on our (world famous, lol) Osceola snow and have a great day.
P.S. Jo Lynn and her Kindred Moon dog sled team are back today for lessons and the adoration of the general public. These huskies are so sweet and eager to run on the snow!
2/24/24 Current temp 10 degrees at 5:30 am the high today will be only 16, so it's a good thing it will also be sunny and calm. Winter has returned and Thomas is excited to get back to grooming. But I need to be honest with you: today's grooming will be a bit tricky in the morning--the frigid overnight temps transformed yesterday's soft conditions into glare ice. Thomas will reverted this into granular snow with the help of our Yellowstone Track Systems Ginzu Groomer (reminds me of my favorite knife in the the 90's (or was it the 80's?) "see it cut through this tin can, now cut through this pineapple with ease!") It requires several laps with the knives just barely skimming the surface, each lap progressively cutting deeper to grind the ice back into granular powder. He will start with the flatter trails and work his way up into the hills after the sun has a chance to warm things up a bit. The warm weather of the last few days only reduced our snow depth to 11 inches, so we still have excellent coverage. The winter break is wrapping up with a perfectly chill weekend and it looks like we might get more snow next week. Don't miss our special guests this weekend, Kandi's Food Truck (Saturday) and Kindred Moon Sled Dogs (Sunday). See schedule of events below and have a great day.
P.S. Check out the Snow Moon tonight, it's a beauty! And if you are staying local, be sure to step out for a night ski or snowshoe, you might not even need your headlamp...
FEBRUARY BREAK SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
MONDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
TUESDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
WEDNESDAY:
Tug The (World Famous?) Goat (see photo on our What's New/Eclipse page) will be on hand batting his horizontal pupils at you and being generally cute.
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
THURSDAY:
...Just plain old skiing, but that's enough for me!
FRIDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
SATURDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
SUNDAY:
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
Outdoor fire daily weather permitting.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT
When temps hover just above or below freezing, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season (and remember, we sell new and used skis as well, so it might be time to upgrade your glide??) Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
2/23/24 Current temp 33 at 7 am (yum, it felt good to sleep in), the high today will reach 39. The rain is mostly behind us now, just clouds rule the day. Trails will slowly leech the rain we received yesterday and the warm temps will give them a mashed potato consistency. That certainly won't stop me from getting a good glide on today (lunch break!) Trails still have full coverage and our base has compressed to 12 inches at the weather station on site. Tomorrow brings much colder weather (tonight's low will be 4 degrees and Saturday's high expected to be in the mid-teens) so tomorrow Thomas will be out there grooming his heart out after another day on the sidelines today. Have a great day.
UPDATES to Schedule of Events (scroll down for full listing):
Kindred Moon Huskies will be back today. Jo Lynn has a few lessons lined up with her dog sled team, so stop by and meet the team and learn something about these GORGEOUS hard working, snow loving dogs.
Kandi's truck is headed to the shop this morning for a brake job after squealing it's way home from a gig this week, so her food truck trailer may take a rain check until tomorrow...good day to check out the stawberry fields chicken salad with feta and candied pecans at the Osceola Outpost. And there's always the World Famous Osceola Hotel's pizza and wings special...if you don't bring your own tailgate picnic...)
2/22/24 Current temp 28 degrees at 5:35 am the high today will be 39. Don't shoot the messenger but today will bring a 30% chance of light rain showers this morning. Have no fear, this will not erase our base, but Thomas needs to take a mandatory time out from grooming today. Trails still have a hefty base and conditions will soften as the day progresses, but if you don't mind a few drops, it's still good skiing. The weekend brings cooler air and snow showers back, so patience grasshopper. Have a great day. (Keep scrolling for winter break schedule of events...)
FEBRUARY BREAK SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
MONDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
TUESDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
WEDNESDAY:
Tug The (World Famous?) Goat (see photo on our What's New/Eclipse page) will be on hand batting his horizontal pupils at you and being generally cute.
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
THURSDAY:
...Just plain old skiing, but that's enough for me!
FRIDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
SATURDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
SUNDAY:
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
Outdoor fire daily weather permitting.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT
When temps hover just above or below freezing, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season (and remember, we sell new and used skis as well, so it might be time to upgrade your glide??) Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
2/21/24 Current temp 17 degrees at 5:45 am, the high today will be 37 and it's another sunny day. Reminder to apply sunscreen so you don't get crisp like me, whoops. Trails are in great shape and Thomas will refresh surfaces this morning. With the snowpack continuing to compress, trails will be firm...until they are soft in the afternoon when temps rise above freezing, We will see some meltdown today with the sun and warm weather, but we still have plenty of snow to play with. I must be on vacation because I am having a hard time remembering what day of the week it is--Tug the Goat will visit TODAY, not yesterday, whoops again. See schedule of events below and have a great day.
FEBRUARY BREAK SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
MONDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
TUESDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
WEDNESDAY:
Tug The (World Famous?) Goat (see photo on our What's New/Eclipse page) will be on hand batting his horizontal pupils at you and being generally cute.
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
THURSDAY:
TBD (stay tuned)
FRIDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
SATURDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
SUNDAY:
TBD (Stay tuned)
Outdoor fire daily weather permitting.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT
When temps hover just above or below freezing, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season (and remember, we sell new and used skis as well, so it might be time to upgrade your glide??) Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
2/20/24 Current temp (brrr, thanks to a cloudless sky) -9 degrees at 7 am, the high will be 30 degrees with nothing but sunshine today. Trails are firming up as the snowpack compresses, but snowshoers will still get a serious work out if they explore off trail, the powder is still fluffy and deep. Thomas will reset each trail to flawless corduroy, except for Kilometer, Screamer, and the Wall which are still back country conditions for the powder enthusiasts among you. Tug the Goat will grace us with his presence today and Jo Lynn's sled dogs are back, so we are channeling our inner zoo today and Kandi's food truck is also on hand with yummo hot food to ward off the chill. See schedule of events below for details and have a great day.
FEBRUARY BREAK SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
MONDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
TUESDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
WEDNESDAY:
Tug The (World Famous?) Goat (see photo on our What's New/Eclipse page) will be on hand batting his horizontal pupils at you and being generally cute.
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
THURSDAY:
TBD (stay tuned)
FRIDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
SATURDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
SUNDAY:
TBD (Stay tuned)
Outdoor fire daily weather permitting.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT
When temps hover just above or below freezing, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season (and remember, we sell new and used skis as well, so it might be time to upgrade your glide??) Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
2/19/24 Current temp 9 degrees at 6:20 am, the high today will be 20 but it will feel a lot warmer with plenty of sunshine--don't forget your sunglasses today! We received another 5 inches fresh powder overnight so conditions will still be somewhat soft with all this new lake effect fluff--backcountry skiers and snowshoers, you are in the zone; however still skewing soft for skaters. Thomas is compacting the fresh snow as best he can and our partner Mother Nature will do the rest over the next few days. Luckily this hefty base will hold through the warm temps forecast for Wedneday and Thursday this week. Happy President's Day, hope you can take the day off and enjoy Osceola's beautiful snow, have a hot bite to eat from Kandi's food truck, and enjoy Jo Lynn's "Engergizer Bunny" sled dogs--see below for our daily specials this week. Have a great day.
FEBRUARY BREAK SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
MONDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
TUESDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
WEDNESDAY:
Tug The (World Famous?) Goat (see photo on our What's New/Eclipse page) will be on hand batting his horizontal pupils at you and being generally cute.
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
THURSDAY:
TBD (stay tuned)
FRIDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
SATURDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
SUNDAY:
TBD (Stay tuned)
Outdoor fire daily weather permitting.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT
When temps hover just above or below freezing, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season (and remember, we sell new and used skis as well, so it might be time to upgrade your glide??) Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
2/18/24 Current temp 17 degrees at 6 am, the high today will be 26. Light snow showers likely to add another 4-5 inches by Monday morning. Trails are in pristine condition--the best of the winter--which wouldn't be saying much given the winter we have had, but I mean to say AMAZING. Thomas will resurface all trails this morning for a perfect set track and corduroy lane to get your glide on. The high school racers and other vistors yesterday did a good job of human packing, but trails are still fairly soft from the huge dump we received just in time for the holiday break. Each day it will settle, compact and firm up some more. I promised a schedule of events so here it is:
MONDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
TUESDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
WEDNESDAY:
Tug The (World Famous?) Goat (see photo on our What's New/Eclipse page)
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
THURSDAY:
TBD (stay tuned)
FRIDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
Kindred Moon's Sled Dog Team will be on hand for demonstrations and lessons. Now Local writer, painter, fiddler, and dog-musher Jo Lynn will present on sled dog care and history and the dogs will run and howl just happy to be in the fresh powder.
SATURDAY:
Kandi's Food Truck (see menu on our What's "New/Eclipse" page) plus daily specials
SUNDAY:
TBD (Stay tuned)
Outdoor fire daily weather permitting.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT
When temps hover just above or below freezing, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season (and remember, we sell new and used skis as well, so it might be time to upgrade your glide??) Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
2/17/24 Current temp 20 degrees at 6 am, the high today will be 24. It's snowing lightly now and we received 3-4 inches new snow overnight and currently light snow falling, but this is set to taper off soon. I need to revise my report from yesterday--I believe I underestimated the amount of snow we received. High winds and compaction through the snow event (this was light, fluffy lake effect) means we probably got more than a foot Thursday night. Needless to say, it's more than plenty and trails are in prime mid-winter shape. Tracks are set and smooth corduroy lane--no need for your rock skis today. Conditions are amazing and beautiful. We are hosting a rescheduled high school Scetionals race this morning at 9. Have a great day.
2/16/24 Current temp 22 degrees, the high today will be 25 with blowing snow tapering off mid morning. We are OPEN today and every day during the Febraruy Break, and now thankfully have plenty of snow to play with...We received 10 inches overnight and will rack up a a few more inches before we see a lull in the snow around 2 pm today. Snow depth reads 15" currently at our NYS Mesonet weather station. With all this manna from heaven, Thomas will first roll, then finish groom trails with corduroy lane and set track. Can't think of a better way to kick off the school break. I know what I will be doing this afternoon. Have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT When temps hover just above or below freezing, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season (and remember, we sell new and used skis as well, so it might be time to upgrade your glide??) Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
2/15/25 Current temp -1 degree at 6 am, the high today will be 28 degrees. We are CLOSED today but good times are right around the corner. Partly sunny until the winter storm rolls in late afternoon--this one keeps promising to drop more and more as it gets closer. NYS Mesonet now forecasting 10+ inches through Friday with a few inches more snow coming Saturday. February break is saved and we have lots of fun planned! Kandi's Food Truck will return for yummo hot food and drink, Jo Lynn will bring her dogsled team for mushing lessons and informational meet and greets with the dogs, and Tug the (World Famous??) Goat will stop by to be admired too. Schedule of events to be finalized by tomorrow. Reminder we will be OPEN EVERY DAY over the February Break. Have a great day.
2/14/24 Current temp 13 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be 22 with scattered snow showers turning partly sunny as the afternoon progresses. Happy Valentine's Day! We love snow, so it's fitting that we received 3 inches of the sweet stuff overnight. Sadly we are still CLOSED today and tomorrow, but we are expecting 7+ inches Thursday night into Friday and that will definately put us back in the game. Thank you for your patience. Be sweet to all you encounter today, and have a great day.
2/13/24 Current temp 26 degrees at, um, 8 am (apologies for the delayed post, I slept through my 3rd alarm after celebrating granddaughter's induction into the NHS and other granddaughter's birthday, which she shares with grand-dad) High today 36, partly sunny and we are looking forward to snow showers overnight expected to bring 3 inches +/-??? We are still CLOSED but watching the extended forecast which sounds promising--7 or more inches Thursday into Friday?! Let's hope this isn't a hoax. Have a great day.
2/12/24 Current temp 31 degrees at 5:45 am, the high today will be 33. And sadly, we are CLOSED until further "snotice." There's just too many bare spots on the trails to welcome the public. Of course, season pass holders, you are welcome to visit and Malloy Brook Trail is still rocking continuous snow, but other trails are fading fast. (Should we solve the problem by clear cutting the woods? That might work.) Tomorrow's winter storm now forecast to drop as much as 2.5 inches in lake effect, and that would be most appreciated--hope the accumulation continues to tick upwards... We are still planning to host the upcoming High School Sectionals race this Friday, but this will require some moving of snow to ensure a smooth race path. Is the season ending before we even see March? Is more snow in the forecast for February? IDK, we'll have to wait and see...even so, have a great day.
2/11/24 Current temp 34 degrees at 6 am, the high today will be 35. Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow showers or wintery mix. We are watching the extended forecast with fingers crossed that we will be blessed with a little (or a lot, that would be nice too) measureable snow from lake effect--rather than the Valentine's Day nor'easter hugging the coast, staying well south of upstate NY. We could really use some snow. I mean REALLY. We still have skiable snow and some long stretches of continuous snow, but the bare spots are growing and I can't lie--it looks like mid April, not mid February out there. Still happy to get my glide on, but this is honestly pathetic IMHO. Come up and visit us if you would like a pre-Super Bowl workout before falling victim to chicken wing dip and chips and salsa and popcorn and nuts and spinach dip because we are contemplating a HALF DAY and CLOSING early to do the same. Have a great day.
2/10/24 Current temp 36 degrees at 6:15 am, the high today will be 50 degrees. Rain and even thunder expected today so Happy Birthday to you, Thomas!! Malloy Brook trail is still in solid shape and there are long lengths of the trail system that are continuous, however, some bare spots are unavoidable and these cannot be mitigated until tomorrow when temps chill enough for us to get out there and patch. That will be our Sunday pre-game. Glad to see temps dropping tomorrow, just have to get through today. Have a great day.
2/9/24 Current temp 36 degrees at 5:50 am, the high today will be a balmy 49 degrees, so expect summer-like conditions?!? Base at the weaather station reads 5" so packed trails are mostly thicker than that due to packing (just shy of 100 inches of snow to date this season). Trails are still 99% ski-able, but the few bare/low spots under thickest tree cover will not get patched until Sunday when temps fall below freezing again. Shorts and a t-shirt are in order, I think. Have a great day.
2/8/24 Current temp 27 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be, glup, 45 and with mostly sunny skis we're above freezing by 9 am. We are CLOSED today except for overnight lodgers. Thomas is contemplating crawling into Puxatawney Phil's burrow. (just kidding) Have a great day.
2/7/24 Current temp 15 degrees at 5;30 AM, the high today will be 39. By the time we open the mercury will be above freezing and today will be mostly cloudy. Thomas will give the trails a fresh face and the skiing is still better than you can imagine, so stop over and see for yourself. Spring conditions in February, woohoo. Have a great day.
2/6/24 Current temp, brrr, 12 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be 33. Sunshine will drive the thermometer above freezing by 1 pm. It is Tuesday and though the trails are in good shape, we are CLOSED (except for overnight lodgers, lucky ducks) Thomas has a full list of things to do today, but grooming is not one of them. Have a great day.
2/5/24 Current temp is 20 degrees at 6am, the high today will be 33 with temps above freezing from 1-3 according to the NYS Mesonet. This weekend's conditions were freakishly good given the wacky winter we've been handed. Thanks for the shout out, Jack (to me it's just a free workout to make up for the gym membership I don't have time for anyway) but kudos to Thomas for making FLUFF out of old snow that's had way too much rain-on-it's-parade to be funny. He's a magician really. Today will be deja vu all over again, or fittingly, Groundhog Day with plenty of sunshine, full coverage, and trails fast and firm slowly softening as the day goes on. Hope you can come get your glide on. Have a great day.
2/4/24 Current temp is 18 degrees at 6am, today's high will hit 34 by 1pm. Mostly sunny, you can work on your tan and vitamin D absorption today, thanks to Mother Nature so I won't raz her too badly, despite the weather she has handed us these last few months. Morning conditions will be fast and firm turning softer as the day progresses. Yesterday Sarah got in a PR, so come do some speed laps today if you like. Thomas's careful grooming over the span of this tricky winter that gave us rain and warm temps more often than we would have liked means we are still able to offer better than you can imagine conditions. We will continue to improve the few low spots remaining on trails (I'm getting a great upper body workout shopping for snow, thanks Ma, you da best) think late March early April conditions. Hope you can make the trip to Osceola, I promise you will be pleasantly surprised. Have a great day.
2/3/24 Current temp 25 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be 32. Two exciting items to report: temps are cold enough to groom so trails will have a fresh face of corduroy and the sun is going to make a golden appearance after, how long has it been since we've seen that orb? We will be working to reinforce the thin spots under heaviest tree cover today, but trails are in surprisingly good shape given our lack of recent snow. Careful packing and grooming is usually associated with extending the ski season. This year, with less than 100 inches total snowfall so far, we need to credit it for even being open when the east coast if feeling bare naked. Hope you can make it to Osceola for a playdate. Have a great day.
2/2/24 Current temp 32 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be 34. Yesterday in addition to a smattering of wet snowflakes, I am not pleased to report we endured mist, drizzle and fog. Humph. Our base snow depth as measured at the on-site NYS Mesonet weather station is 6 inches. The trails are mostly a bit thicker due to the season's packing and grooming, but there are thin spots under heaviest tree cover. Still, we are in the game and folks are getting their glide on in Osceola. Expect spring conditions--soft, granular, transformed snow (sno-cone , anyone?) Thomas and the grooming equipment is sidelined today, but tonight temperatures are expected to fall into the 20s and he is excited to put a new face on things first thing tomorrow, just in time for weekend playtime. Have a great day.
2/1/24 Current temp 33 degrees at 5:30 am the high today will be 34. Snow showers likely to bring just an inch or so new snow, but we will take it and hope February brings us much much more. We are CLOSED today because it is Thursday and Thomas, since it's too warm to groom, has a long to-do list to tackle. Tomorrow he will work any new snow we get today, when daytime temps will be more chill. Weekend temps are favorable for maintaining our base with night time lows in the teens. Have a great day.
1/31/24 Current temp 29 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be 35 in Osceola on this last day of January. Trails are still in surprisingly decent condition despite the scant new snow we have received in recent days. Snow depth at the weather station is a mere 7" but the trails are a bit thicker thanks to careful packing and grooming. Today will begin fast and firm and gradually soften with warmer temps; we are above freezing by noon. Track is set where possible, but we could really use some more of the good stuff. Tomorrow's forecast keeps changing--looks like we will get some snow, but how much is still up the in air (pun intended, harhar) We have logged in just under 100 inches of snow in Osceola this season. Since we average 200+ before the transition to spring, the way I figure it, February owes us big time! Have a great day.
1/30/24 Current temp 22 degrees at 6 am, the high today will be 31. We are OPEN today, Tuesday, to take advantage of the conditions and say a proper good-bye to January 2024 (see ya--don't let the door hit you on your way out!) Trails have full coverage and are in surprisingly decent shape considering the rain and warm temps we have suffered in this first month of the year. What will February bring?? Trails are freshly groomed, fast and firm. Hope you can make the trip to Osceola today. Have a great day.
1/29/24 Current temp 29 degrees at 5 am, the high today will be 30. We received just one inch of new snow last night but that's better than nothing. Slight chance of snow showers today not likely to net much more in the way of new snow. Thomas has been chomping at the bit to put a fresh face on the trails and conditions are finally cooperating. Trails will finally have fresh corduroy for your sking pleasure. Hope you don't have to work today like me and you can get out and play! Have a great day.
1/28/24 Current temp 33 at 6:30 am, the high will be a few degrees more at 35. We are expecting to get some snow today, maybe just an inch or so though, since the storm is heading up from the south and it's difficult to say whether it will reach us. Warm air temps mean this will be heavy snow, but we will take it in any form it comes in. Better than rain. It probably goes without saying, but this warm winter weather is the pits. Just saying. Fortunately, Osceola gets more snow than most places and stays just a bit cooler to retain it. Check the cameras above if you don't want to take my word for it. Trails have full coverage and you will enjoy spring conditions today. Have a great day.
1/27/24 Current temp 32 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be 35 degrees and I'm happy to announce the rain is finally behind us. Trail conditions will be spring-like. Snow depth at the weather station is 7 inches and our packed trails will be slightly thicker, so we are still in the game, despite all the recent rain, but we could use some more snow. Fingers crossed the few inches of new snow in the forecast for tomorrow actually happens...Today's entertainment brought to you by The Tug HIll Outfitter's Yeti Quest Adventure Race, so don't panic if you catch a glimpse of a snow monster in the woods today. Have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT When temps hover just above or below freezing, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season (and remember, we sell new and used skis as well, so it might be time to upgrade your glide??) Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
1/26/24 Current temp 39 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be 40. Rain will taper off this afternoon but we are CLOSED today to allow all this rain to pass through the snow pack. Heavy fog will make travel challenging. Tomorrow the thermometer falls below freezing again and Thomas hopes to be able to groom again. Sunday we may even get a bit of snow, so things are looking up. Have a great day.
1/25/24 Current temp 33 degrees at 8:30am, high today will be 41. We are CLOSED today because it's Thursday and because Thomas needs to collect me at the airport. This will be a short post bc I am not the best at tapping out a report on my little cell screen. Keeping an eye on the weekend which looks to bring back the chill. Have a great day.
1/24/24 Current temp 32 degrees at 6:30 am, the high today will be 37. Last night's snow is now turning to sleet, which will soon be turning into freezing rain, then ultimately just plain rain by mid-morning. A fabulous "wintry mix" as they say. We are CLOSED. Even if you enjoy skiing in the rain, and slippery road conditions don't scare you, it's better to let the rain leech through our 13 inch base and wait until temperatures return to below freezing, which luckily sounds like it will be in the wee hours of Saturday morning...just in time for the weekend. No grooming will happen until then. For the sake of our trails' health and longevity, hope to see you this weekend. Have a great day.
1/23/24 Current temp 29 degrees at 7 am the high today will reach 31. Afternoon snow showers will devolve into freezing rain and sleet sometime overnight. WE ARE OPEN TODAY because this looks to be the last skiable day for the remainder of the week. Trails are holding up well and we have a foot of base so we will just have to ride out this balmy spell. I am keeping an eye on Friday when it looks like snow and lower temps begin to return. Just in time for the weekend, fingers crossed. Conditions today will be warming up, so be sure to give your skis some glide wax before you head out so you don't stick, and if you haven't yet dropped them off for a hot wax treatment, it might be time to consider it (see details below). Your skis work hard for you, why not treat them to a spa vacation while we wait out this rain? Have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT When temps hover just above or below freezing, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season (and remember, we sell new and used skis as well, so it might be time to upgrade your glide??) Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
1/22/24 Current temp 20 degrees at 6 am, the high today will be 27 degrees. Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers in the evening possibly adding an inch or two fresh powder by tomorrow morning. (In San Mateo, CA it's 54 degrees at 3 am and raining. sigh) Thomas continues to refresh the set track and corduroy skate lane for your skiing pleasure. Trails will be "just right" today, Goldilocks. Not too soft, not too firm, and gone will be the sound of skiing on squeeky styrofoam that the cold weekend brought us. If you aren't heading into work, you should be heading out to the trails. I'm not telling you what to do, but Mother Nature is planning another warm up later in the week so if you can, make today count. Have a great day.
P.S. Kandi is very sad she wasn't able to make it up to Osceola yesterday as planned due to injury. She hopes to recover and be up soon enough--I will keep you posted!
YUMMO ALERT: Kandi's Food Truck will be on site today, Sunday, January 21st, serving up warm and yummy food. See our "What's New" page for a copy of her menu.
1/21/24 Current temp 2 degrees at (yawn) 3 am, the high will be 14 but may feel a bit warmer with partly sunny skies. Glad there are no big storms today since I have to hop a plane to Cali (hence the early post) Trails are still in great shape and Thomas and Dave will be holding down the fort while I'm gone. Today will be warmer than yesterday so fight your inner snowflake, come get your blood moving and you won't feel the cold. Good luck to all the snow shoe racers today at Winona Forest! Have a great day.
YUMMO ALERT: Kandi's Food Truck will be on site tomorrow, Sunday, January 21st, serving up warm and yummy food. See our "What's New" page for a copy of her menu.
1/20/24 Current temp -8 degrees at 5:30 am, the high will be 10 degrees today. Good thing you don't feel the cold when you are skiing. Chance of light snow showers after noon expecting to bring less than an inch of fresh powder. Trails couldn't be in better shape with clean packed powder, set track and wide skate lanes. Our patience has finally paid off. If you are a skier, you need to get your glide on stat. Roads are clear too, so make the trip to Osceola and have a great day.
1/19/24 Current temp 17 degrees at 5:30 am this will be our high. Slight chance light fluffy snow showers throughout the day will not add much to the solid 15" base of packed powder. Track set and wide lane for skaters. The Tug Hill was blessed with copious snow (50+ inches in Copenhagen!) and the trails are in the best condition of the season. This is going to be an epic weekend for skiers. Hope to see you in Osceola this weekend. Have a great day.
1/18/24 Current temp 16 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be 21. Occassional snow showers will add only an inch or so to more than a foot of fresh powder we received with the last round of lake effect. The trails are immaculate! Conditons yesterday will be hard to top--soft and fluffy, nothing but white gleaming powder and even some sunshine mixed in. Today however, might be even better as the snow naturally compacts and Thomas regrooms. Track is now set (finally!) for classic and wide lane for skaters, The base of 22" yesderday morning is now measuring 16" and that includes the new half inch of snow that fell overnight. We will be OPEN in honor of these spectacular conditions even though it is Thursday, so if you can make the trip to Osceola today, do it! Regardless, have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT With temps hovering just above or below freezing lately, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season. Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. Treat yourself this holiday weekend. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
1/17/24 Current temp 11 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today will be 12. We certainly did not get left out this time. Last night by 10 pm our NYS Mesonet weather station on site measured snow depth at 15 inches. This morning the depth measuring device is offline but my guess is to add another 6 or so inches to that, so today's trail conditions will be pillowy! Thomas will be busy first rolling the bounty then finishing with YTS Ginzu groomer. With this amount of lake effect snow we will now be able to set tracks. Things are looking up for all winter enthusiasts. For us, the ake effect tapers off around noon-1pm when winds shift more northerly. Drive safe and have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT With temps hovering just above or below freezing lately, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season. Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. Treat yourself this holiday weekend. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
1/16/24 Current temp 10 degrees at 6 am, today's high will be 20 degrees. Light snow showers will drop only a few inches of snow during the day, turning heavier overnight. The lower Tug HIll wins the lake effect lottery with this storm, and though we are not it the center of the bullseye (Lowville expects 12-24") we should receive upwards of 9 inches new snow before things wind down Wednesday night. Trails are packed powder today and yesterday the skaters raved about the fast conditions. Thomas will smooth any new snow we get today and WE ARE OPEN TODAY despite being TUESDAY, so hope to see you in Osceola today. Have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT With temps hovering just above or below freezing lately, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season. Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. Treat yourself this holiday weekend. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! $25 a pair
1/15/24 Current temp 13 degrees at 5:15 am high today will be 17 degrees but the sun will make more of a showing than it has in...I can't even remember? High winds have passed and today will be calm. Trails are packed powder and we have been diligently picking up debris left by the last gusty storm. Skaters will enjoy the firm surface and Thomas continues to blend the fresh powder on top with the 9 inch base. Trails are in good shape despite the rain we suffered a few days ago. Glad we waited out that mess. No set track, but your fellow skiers will help out soon enough with a manmade track emerging through the day. A few icy spots under deep tree cover will be patched today and we are waiting on the NEXT storm coming Tues-Wed. Hope you have the day off and you can make it up to Osceola. Have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT With temps hovering just above or below freezing lately, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago...you may want to treat yourself this season. Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. Treat yourself this holiday weekend. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. Give your skis the spa treatment they (and you) deserve! MLK Weekend Special: $20
1/14/24 Current temp 26 degrees at 5:30 am, this is also the high with temperatures continuing to dip throughout the day. Cold is good. Light snow showers are also good and these continue throughout the day. Osceola is on the fringe of this latest storm, with the big snow totals north of us. While another 1-2 feet is always welcome to add to the base, we can work with considerably less inches of snow. Thomas will smooth this new snow into zen gardens of corduroy. Conditions will be firm with yesterday's mashed potatoes made firm by the cold and ready to be mixed with the new powder we received. Remember to check the 2 webcams (links above) before you make the trip to see for yourself. Drive safe and have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT With temps hovering just above or below freezing lately, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago, lol, you may want to treat yourself this season. Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. Treat yourself this holiday weekend. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. MLK Weekend Special: $20
1/13/24 UPDATE: by order of the Groomer, our trails are sadly CLOSED today. Rain is just not our friend and the trails are too soupy. The best thing we can do is sit this one out and allow time for the water to leech down and out. This preserves the base for future fun. Not gonna lie, this was a tough call, especially being Saturday on a holiday weekend. Even with more snow coming tonight, we need to consider the long haul and keep the initial base in good shape so we can enjoy many months more skiing. Please don't shoot the messenger. (Or the groomer.) Have a great day.
1/13/24 Current temp 36 degrees at 5:30 am and er, raining? High of 38 degrees? Rain turning to snow around 1pm today. Sigh. All I can say is thank goodness global warming is a hoax. Today is the slog before the storm. Tonight's storm set to bring 9 or more inches of new snow and winter temperatures back. Tomorrow brings a high of 24 degrees, MLK Day high 18, so that's good. Trail conditions will be um, spring like, think late March/April. Rain tapers into snow as the day progresses so the late bird gets the proverbial worm this time. Thomas is unable to groom in these temperatures, but trails are well packed from yesterday and the base is thankfully 11 inches so if you don't mind getting a little soggy, we are open and it's still skiable and we have a big woodstove in the lodge to dry you and your gear out when you finish. Oh, and other good news: roads are clear if you haven't changed your tires recently. Have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT With temps hovering just above or below freezing lately, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago, lol, you may want to treat yourself this season. Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. Treat yourself this holiday weekend. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. MLK Weekend Special: $20
1/12/24 Current temp 29 at 5:45 am the high today will be 33 by early afternoon. Today is the dry, calm day before another lake effect storm rolls in for the weekend. There is a 12" base of snow now, which Thomas rolled and packed yesterday afternoon. Thomas also managed to bust a bearing on the roller, so that's today's project for Mr. Fixit after he finishes grooming this morning. Firm, packed powder with a high moisture content, today's conditions will be epic for classic and skaters alike. Tomorrow will bring another changeable day similar to last weekend with snow, changing to rain, and then back to snow again. Saturday's high of 39 will turn to Sunday's high of 24 and Monday's high will be 18. Can you say rollercoaster? Here we go again, folks. Drive safe and have a great day.
NEW SERVICE THIS YEAR: HOT WAX TREATMENT With temps hovering just above or below freezing lately, it's more important than ever to have a fresh coat of wax on your skis to keep from sticking. Even "waxless skis" need conditioning...like your face needs daily moisturizing, especially in the winter. We sell universal glide wax for daily application, and if this is still working for you then all is good. But if you didn't treated your skis to a hot wax at the end of the season...or in several seasons...or since you first got your skis 20 years ago, lol, you may want to treat yourself this season. Don't you remember the optimal gliding condition of new skis with the factory coat of wax still on them? You can have that again. Treat yourself this holiday weekend. In most cases, we will need them overnight, so plan this into your schedule. Drop your sticks at the ski center no later than 5pm for a hot wax, and you can pick them up first thing (10 am) next day. It takes time for the wax to cool slowly and that's the ticket, so patience, grasshopper. MLK Weekend Special: $20
1/11/24 Current temp 28 degrees at 8 am (webserver glitching again this morning--grrr) high will be 30 degrees with light lake effect snow showers likely. The forecasted foot or more snow we hoped to earn by Friday has degraded to 3-6 inches (grrr) ...but still enough to play on with a base of 9 inches already on the ground. Really can't complain. BUT, this warm/rain weather pattern in WINTER is underwhelming--not gonna lie. Reminder we are CLOSED on Tuesdays and Thursdays except by appointment and overnight guests. Welcome lodgers coming in today for the holiday weekend, I think conditions will be pretty awesome except for a bit of that rain/warm weather sandwiched between more snow Sat and Sunday--ANOTHER foot or more again in the forecast, but we will have to wait and see. Meteorology aint an easy gig these days. Have a great day.
1/10/24 Current temp 40 degrees at close to 6 am (yawn, it's a slow start for me today), this will be the high today, temperature gradually dropping to below freezing by 4 pm. Light rain showers turning to snow this afternoon, gusty winds also tapering off this afternoon. Lake effect snow looks to be blessing our little divot on Tug Hill with a persistent band in this next storm. Our NYS Mesonet weather station is forecasting a foot or more new snow by Friday, coming slow and steady throughout tonight and tomorrow day and night. We consider ourselves fortunate that we haven't lost power (yet) due to widespread outages from this nasty wind storm. We are CLOSED today, so Thomas can assess the damage to the trails and clear all debris before the new snow starts falling. Sounds like the perfect set up for a primo ski weekend, so get excited and have a great day!
1/9/24 Current temp 27 degrees at 5:20 am, the high today will be 35 with a chance of light snow showers this afternoon. We are sadly CLOSED NOT because it is Tuesday, but because our plow needs a doctor's appointment stat. Although we are normally closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Thomas wanted to stay open today to balance out tomorrow which brings a crazy storm that promises high winds and snow, then rain, then snow again. But alas, getting plow fixed is priority. Have a great day.
1/8/24 Current temp 18 degrees at 5:45 am, high today 31 with chance of light snow showers. I am tempted to play hooky and ski all day. We received more snow than expected in the weekend storm, almost 12 inches now compressed to a solid 9 inch base. Thomas will refresh all trails this morning and i am keeping my eye on the next storm heading our way Tues-Wed. Have a great day.
1/7/24 Current temp 27 degrees at 5 am and oh, what a beautiful morning!!! We are OPEN today (10 am - 4:30 pm) at long last. Seven inches of snow on the ground with light, fluffy snow showers to add another 2-3 inches expected over the course of the day. Trail conditions will be soft and newly groomed, all trails open. Drive safe, hope to see you in Osceola! Have a great day.
1/6/24 Current temp 26 degrees at 6 am, today is the calm before the storm--finally some good news on the horizon! We are CLOSED today but very much planning to be open tomorrow and Monday, and...tonight's storm is forecast to drop enough snow to finally have something to play on. At this moment, Mesonet weather station is predicting 8+ for this event's total, with 6+ falling before 10am, which is great even thouh Lewis County highway department is AMAZING when it comes to clearing the roads. Be safe and have a great day. Hope to see you tomorrow!
1/5/24 Current temp 18 degrees at 5 am, our high today will be a scorching 20 degrees. Good news because the ground temp is just 32.4 degrees and frozen ground is necessary for snow to stick around. Just an inch of snow measuring at our weather station and today's scattered snow showers will not increase this by much today, but things are looking good for Sunday. The big storm is expected to reach us Saturday night and drop hopefully six or more inches before it blows through sometime Monday. Forecasters keep adjusting snow totals since this winter storm watch is coming from the south, so we will just have to wait and see. Next week's forecast to continue this snowy trend. Sounds good to me. Keep it coming, Ma. We're ready already (and still CLOSED today.) Have a great day.
1/4/24 Current temp 30 degrees at 5am and SNOWING (hooray!) Light snow showers this morning wil taper off into a mostly sunny (but increasingly colder) day. Accumulation will be an inch or so, but it sounds like Sunday's storm will offer something more substantial...keeping an eye on the tracking, still too far out to give a good estimate on timing and depth, but it's possible Sunday will be playtime?!? Today we are CLOSED. Have a great day.
1/3/24 Current temp 31 at 5:30 am, this will also be the high today. Mercury will continue to fall and tomorrow night will be in the teens. Cloudy with a chance of snow showers throughout the day, accumulation won't be much today, tomorrow maybe 1-3? Lake effect is famously fickle, so we will just have to wait and see how soon we can add it up in Osceola...Did I mention we are STILL CLOSED? Have a great day.
1/2/24 Current temp 26 at 5:30 am the high today will reach 32 degrees with mostly cloudy skies. The next few days are forecast to bring a few lake effect snow showers and temp will remain at or below freezing, so the new year is already trending in the right direction. Stay tuned because we will open as soon as there is enough base to play on, fingers crossed that it is very soon. Have a great day.
1/1/24 Current temp 20 degrees at 6:45 am (last day of vacation, and last day to sleep in so I am taking full advantage), decreasing clouds leading to a high of 29 today. Of course, we are CLOSED. But Happy New Year! Goodbye 2023, don't let the door hit you on the way out! Good news for the new year: weather is trending cooler in the extended forecast--need to get that ground frozen. Alas, the bad news: things are also trending fairly dry so although snow showers are "likely" over the next several days, it will likely add up to just a dusting as well...Hoping for some new year cheer soon though!! Have a great day. (PS: we're CLOSED, lol)
12/31/23 Current temp 27 degrees at 6 am, mostly cloudy with wispy flakes of snowfall. High today 30. Long range forecast is looking chillier with slight chance of snow each day. We are sadly still CLOSED. Do your snow dance tonight and let's hope the New Year brings us great ski conditions soon. If you are heading out tonight to ring in the New Year, please drive safe and have a great day.
12/30/23 Current temp 33 at 6 am, the thermometer will keep dropping to a low of 24 tonight. Light snow showers will grace us with less than half an inch today. Well, it's a start at least...but we are of course still CLOSED due to lack of snow. Keep it coming, Ma. Have great day.
12/29/23 Current temp 40 degrees at 6 am, high today of 42. Dense fog this morning will clear to reveal yet another cloudy day with chance of rain. So over it already!!! We are CLOSED. Forecast turning chillier in the next several days with chance of snow showers rather than rain each day, which would be a great way to ring in the New Year. Definitely ready to kiss December goodbye after such an early tease of great snow. Have a great day.
12/28/23 Current temp 44 degrees at 6:30 am, the heat wave continues with a high of 48 degrees today. Light rain and drizzle throughout the day. Should I mention we are CLOSED? Have a great day.
12/27/23 Current temp 44 degrees at 7:30 am, decided to sleep in today and listen to the rain on the metal roof. So delightful. But really, the pits. It's going to rain all day--up to a half inch, which, if this was snow would be approx. 6.5 inches, which would be REALLY delightful. So whether this climate change is human triggered or not, let's play it safe and be mindful of our daily actions and consumption. Consider your carbon footprint and perhaps leave less of a trace. Without being militant, there are probably ways to do better, yes? According to Oxfam, 10% of the world's population generates 50% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. Just saying. OK, lecture over. I'm going back to bed. Have a great day.
12/26/23 Current temp 30 degrees at 5:30 am, high today will be 43, mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Next several days look to be similar before the next whisper of snow is on the horizon. I've never felt more ready for the other shoe to drop. We are CLOSED. Have a great day.
12/25/23 Current temp 35 at 6 am and foggy. Mostly cloudy with a high of 42 degrees. Not exactly what I asked Santa for but...maybe he can manage Peace on Earth? That would be nice. Probably goes without saying, but we are CLOSED. Enjoy your family if not the weather and have a great day.
12/24/23 Current temp 32 degrees at 5 am with light snow, and a bit of fog and mist. High today will be 36 degrees and precip will shift from snow to rain as the day goes on. Lovely. One inch base is not enough to make it worth the trip. Pretty, but not practical. We will be CLOSED for more than a few days more it seems. Merry Christmas Eve. Have a great day.
12/23/23 Current temp 28 degrees at 5:30 am, cloudy with a high of 33 and a slight chance of light snow showers. Tonight, rain (yuck) and snow (yeah) showers likely, but only a trace to an inch expected to accumulate. Not looking too promising, but IF, by miracle, we get more than they forecast (and they've been wrong before), I will certainly announce whether we can be open (ha) for a single day, tomorrow. But today, we are CLOSED (and another warming trend is heading our way. Sigh.) Have a great day and please pray for snow.
12/22/23 Current temp 10 degrees at 5:15 am, sincere apologies for yesterday's late post--if it doesn't get done first thing, it's hard to find time to squeeze it in, and technical difficulties are infuriating.. Not that there's much to report. Feeling a bit like Ground Hog Day--still CLOSED--but maybe some good news on the horizon if you're an optimistic sort? High today will be 29 degrees even with the sun in full bloom. A scant inch of snow on the ground BUT after several days of chilly willy, the ground is finally frozen (31.5 degrees at 2 inch depth) so with any luck, the white precipitation in the forecast for Saturday night could be just enough to glide on. Please don't get your hopes too too high, yet--they can still change their minds and more often than not do (that's the pessimist in me talking), but maybe just maybe...in the meantime, have a great day.
PS Happy birthday mom, luv you muchly always and forever
12/21/23 Yikes, webserver was glitching this morning, so this is an extremely late post!!! Current temp 25 degrees at high noon, the high today will be 27. It's officially Day One of winter, but with only an inch of snow on the ground we are sadly CLOSED. Enjoy the holiday season with family and we hope to see you soon. Have a great day.
12/20/23 Current temp 20 degrees at 5 am our high today will be 35 degrees and mostly cloudy, a mere inch of snow on the ground, looks purty, but not practical. We are CLOSED. Slight chance of snow Friday and Saturday, but this likely won't be enough to give us the holiday cheer we want. We are a day away from meteorological winter, so I'm starting to expect better...have a great day.
12/19/23 Current temp 31 degrees at 5 am and snowing, the thermometer will keep dropping throughout the day but we won't get enough snow to make it matter. A few inches, thank you we will take it, but we need more please. Still CLOSED. Have a great day.
12/18/23 Current temp 43 degrees at 5 am, the rain is here and our high today will be 46 degrees. Temp keeps dropping though and we are expecting a few inches of snow tomorrow. CLOSED until further snotice. Have a great day.
12/17/23 Current temp 38 degrees at 6 am and cloudy, the rain is heading our way and the temp is rising to a high of 45 so we are CLOSED TODAY and until further "snotice." Although the NYS Mesonet weather station still measures a 2" inch base of snow and the field still looks well covered, the bare spots on the trails will have grown impassible by now. We had just enough snow to host yesterday's high school race and a big shout out to Owen and Buck who arrived before sun-up with pack shovels to ensure skiers wouldn't encounter any rocks or bare spots on the race course. Congrats to all the skiers who arrived to icy crusty conditions that soften up as the morning progressed. It was less than ideal conditions and I was especially impressed with the newest members of the teams, some of whom skied sans poles--way to rally and get it done! A very special THANK YOU to Kandi and Lindsey for cooking up yummy breakfast and lunch (the sausage tortellini soup was incredible!) We look forward to the next visit from Kandi's Food Truck and I will be sure to let folks know when to expect them. Pray for snow and have a great day.
12/16/23 Current temp 34 degrees at 5:25 am our high today will reach 40 with partly sunny skies. We have just enough coverage to host this morning's high school Nordic race, but today will be your last day to ski this weekend, with rain and even warmer temps heading our way tomorrow. Come early today of you come--added incentive: Kandi's Food Truck will be on hand for breakfast and lunch offerings--yummo! After today, ski fun will likely be on hold until we get more snow--which sounds like it may be Wednesday...have a great day.
12/15/23 Current temp 16 degrees at 5 am, today will be mostly sunny and we will creep above freezing by 10 am for a high of 42 by 2 pm today. Things are going to get soft and slushy and our 4 inch base is sadly going to degrade, so a morning ski is recommended over the afternoon if your schedule allows. Easy come, easy go. Have a great day.
12/14/23 Brr! Current temp 8 degrees at 5am, this will rise steady to a high of 34 degrees by 2pm. Partly cloudy with a slight chance of isolated snow showers this morning. That would be nice, but we have enough on the ground to play with already--hooray! Though we are typically closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we will be OPEN TODAY because: snow should not be wasted! I went for a ski yesterday afternoon after work and it felt great to get a glide on! The six or so inches of snow we received yesterday has compacted to a four inch base and Thomas will give it a corduroy finish this morning after having rolled every trail yesterday. Not enought to set a track yet, but hopefully soon. Definitely worth the trip. Have a great day.
12/13/23 UPDATE: Current temp 27 degrees at 7pm. I raced up to Osceola after work in Syracuse to get on skis before dark. Thomas rolled all trails today and I had a great ski and made myself useful picking up sticks and branches along the way. Tomorrow morning he plans to run the Ginzu for a corduroy finish. Of course, no track set, not nearly enough base to get that going, but hopefully soon...full coverage: enough to get a good glide on, so...WE WILL BE OPEN TOMORROW (despite being a Thursday) because heck, weather conditions REQUIRE IT!!!
12/13/23 Current temp 31 at 5 am the mercury will drop throughout the day for an overnight low of 17 degrees. Light snow falling now and the lake effect is expected to drop another 3-6 inches before the sun goes down. Thomas is chomping at the bit to get out and groom, but will have to wait until there is enough to do so without kicking up debris later today. Patience grasshopper. If you are heading this way, take your time and be safe on the snow-slick roads...the late bird will get the worm today I think. Have a great day.
12/12/23 Current temp 28 degrees at 5:30 am high 37 partly sunny. Meh. Still closed. Hoping for some manna from heaven tomorrow. Have a great day.
12/11/23 Current temp 32 degrees at 5 am with high of 33 today. Rain transitioned to wet snow overnight but did not add up to much--less than an inch measuring at the NYS Mesonet weather station on our lot. If you are a snow chaser, Roxbury, NY and the Western Catskills (Plattekill and Belleayre Mts) are the winners with this storm: 6 inches overnight and another 3-5 before the event passes. Here in Osceola, snow showers throughout the day will add another 1-2 inches. We are CLOSED today, just not enough on the ground yet to play...but we are watching the next system due to hit Wednesday and it looks more promising. Fingers crossed. Have a great day.
12/10/23 Apologies for the late post, but nothing ski-worthy to report. Current temp 46 at 7am degrees and rainy. No skiing happening today. Tomorrow will bring better news, with snow on it's way, but the forecasters keep changing how much we will receive. Stay tuned and have a great day.
12/9/23 Current temp 38 degrees at 5:30 am, this weekend will be a scorcher with high today 47 and tomorrow a few degrees higher still. Needless to say, trails are clsosed. Sigh. But things are looking up for Monday. The storm my sister got in MT yesterday is heading this way and we are expecting accumulating snow. Stay tuned and visit us today for our December Ski Sale. Shop local and have a great day.
12/8/23 Current temp 31 at 5:30 am, high 39 and partly sunny today. Yesterday's new snow gives us a 4 inch base, but with temperatures above freezing, no grooming is happening. Sadly, trails are closed through the weekend. This weekend brings a warm front and temps rise into the 40s and 50s (boo, hiss)...then Sunday's rain turns to snow on Monday and we are keeping an eye on this new storm, not sure yet how much snow it will bring but we hope A LOT. We are in the shop every Saturday in December rain or shine for our December Ski Sale. Shop local and have a great day.
12/7/23 Current temp 19 degrees at 5:45 am, high 31 with a fast moving clipper sweeping through expected to drop an inch or so of snow today. We'll take it. Alas, still not enought to play on, so we are CLOSED until further notice. Unfortunately it looks like another warming trend is heading this way, so this might be a good weekend to clean the house, run some errands and go for a hike in the woods, along the way identifying tracks of the critters who are perparing for winter. We will be in the shop every Saturday in December rain or shine for our December Ski Sale. Shop local and have a great day.
12/6/23 Current temp 27 degrees at 5:45 am, low tonight 18 with chance of light snow showers this morning then mostly sunny. Rinse and repeat: Not enough snow to play on, so we are CLOSED until further notice. Unfortunately it looks like another warming trend is heading this way for the weekend, so this might be a good weekend to go waterskiing, but not snow skiing. We will be in the shop every Saturday in December rain or shine for our December Ski Sale. Shop local and have a great day.
12/5/23 Current temp 29 degrees at 5:30 am, low tonight 21 and mostly cloudy with a slight chance of light snow showers. Not enough snow to play on, so we are CLOSED until further notice. Keeping an eye on the extended forecast and, surprise (!) it keeps changing (?!?) Stay tuned. We will be in the shop every Saturday in December rain or shine for our December Ski Sale. Shop local and have a great day.
12/4/23 Current temp 36 degrees at 5am, this will be the high with thermometer dropping to a low of 25 overnight. Rain will change to snow sometime this morning/early afternoon with a few inches possible. Mother Nature giveth and she taketh away. We've gone from almost 3 feet to less than 3 inches in the span of a week. Slight chance snow showers in the forecast each day this week, so fingers crossed we get enough to open this weekend. We are closed today and until further notice (and the blessing of MN.) Have a great day.
12/3/23 Current temp 35 degrees at 5:30, high today 41 and 90% chance of rain throughout the day. Bleech. We are closed today and working on indoor projects. Chance of snow showers throughout the week beginning Monday evening, so stay tuned and do your snow dance and have a great day.
12/2/23 Current temp 34 degrees at 5:45 am, high today 41 with light rain showers likely throughout the day. Misty now. Good news: snow depth at the NYS Mesonet weather station is 7 inches so there is still plenty of snow on the ground. Bad news: soft and soggy conditions. If you come, don't bring your skate skis today. Expect backcountry conditions.
UPDATE: 8:00am just back from a first light ski and the fog is rolling in. It's beautiful out on the trails with tracks from lots of woodland creatures--raccoon, fox, bobcat, squirrel. Deer post-holing through and across many trails--can't complain since they have indigenous rights unlike my dog. Birds flitting through the trees. Not prime conditions, but still a good day on snow for those of us who love to ski.
Our shop will be open today from 10am-2pm for holiday ski and winter gear sale. Stop in and shop local. Have a great day.
12/1/23 Current temp 30 degrees, high today will be 40 degrees and sadly this weekend will be a rain delay on our ski fun. Not the way we want to welcome in December, but it sounds like more snow is coming early next week and this warm up won't burn through all the snow we got, just compress it into a nice base. Our shop will be open tomorrow from 10am-2pm for holiday ski and more sale. Stop in and shop local. Have a great day.
11/30/23 Current temp 25 degrees at 5:30 am, temperature will be above freezing by 11 am to reach a high near 38 dgerees and partly sunny. Sadly we are CLOSED today. This storm is somewhat reminiscent of the first big dump last season with a total of 3 feet plus or minus of fluffy lake efffect snow. This is a challenge to bat down--like surfing on a sled, snowmobiles tend to veer and scuttle onto their sides and Thomas has had a trying time trying to pack. Today he is requesting we be CLOSED (reminder trails are typically closed on TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS throughout the ski season except for overnight lodgers and by appointment) so he can continue to work the trails ahead of the warming trend. No skier likes to hear the thermometer will climb above freezing, but in this case it will help pack and condense the copious windfall of white stuff we recieved. The goal is to get a good start on packing a wide shelf base and the hope is more snow will soon come to add layer upon layer that will hold up through March and with luck into April. The weekend forecast is a total rain out with wintry mix in the evening hours. Sorry to disappoint the eager beavers but please remember it's early yet and Mother Nature is in charge, folks. Have a great day.
P.S. We are having a ski sale SATURDAYS THROUGH DECEMBER and the shop will be open this Saturday from 11am - 2pm. Shop local!
11/29/23 Current temp 18 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 26. A lake effect band of snow is still overhead, but snow should taper off by late morning after dropping another 4-5 inches on top of the nearly 2 feet Mother Nature blessed Osceola with yesterday. Just over 8 months since we closed the 22-23 ski season, we are officially OPEN today. Thomas will be testing out equipment, so for conditions think back-country and bring your fat skis...although the ground is not frozen rock skis are not required with 2+ feet of lake effect snow you will be schuessing on a pillow today. Kudos to the highway crew--they do a great job of clearing the roads up here. Hope you can make it to Osceola today. Drive safe and have a great day.
Pre-SEASON 2023-24
11/28/23 Update 6:30 pm: 25 degrees, wind chill 19. Hard to say what today's total snowfall was with gusty winds and compression, but my guess is nearly 2 feet and it's still coming down. NYS Mesonet records current snow depth at 15". Plenty to glide on, but with ground not yet frozen, grooming equipment has not yet kissed the trails. If you are itching, feel free to visit tomorrow. Tom will be there. Have a great evening.
Current temp 22 degrees at 5:30 am, high today will be 27 degrees with snow continuing throughout the day. Overnight snow accumulation is 9 inches. Snowfall rate will be heaviest, in excess of 3"/hour at times, between 7am and 1 pm according to NYS Mesonet. Thomas will be out there packing it down today. The ground is not yet frozen, but temperatures will remain below freezing until Thursday, so hopefully this will stick around for a bit and we hope to have an early soft opening this week--maybe as early as tomorrow, Greg?!? Stay tuned and have a great day,
11/27/23 Current temp 29 degrees at 8pm, low tonight 21 degrees, tomorrow's high will be 27 degrees. Two inches already on the ground, this is our first big dump of the season. Forecast 12-16 inches, fingers crossed that persistent band of lake effect stays overhead in Osceola. It won't be long now, hope to see you soon. Stay tuned and have a great evening.
11/1/23 Welcome to November! It's finally feeling like winter is around the corner. After an unusually warm October, November slapped us in the face with snow and brisk temperatures. Osceola received only a dusting today, but other parts of the Tug Hill saw 7-8 inches of the stuff we love. Of course, the ground is not yet frozen, so this too shall pass, but we are officially counting the days! Stay tuned for a new page (What's New) and a pre-season ski and boot sale! Have a great day,
10/22/23 Woohoo! First day of snow! ...Okay, really it's just a wet dusting, but a sign of things to come, I think...
Welcome back to Osceola and the Tug Hill. With reservations for trailside lodging starting to book and the weather turning cooler, it's time to get back to the computer and offer some updates on what's new at the ski center...We have been busy continuing our renovations on the lodge. Repairs and a new coat of paint on the standing seam metal roof, finishing up the downstairs bathroom remodel, and much more. Trail work is never done and there's always more to do. New road sign coming soon featuring a logo we are excited to unveil. New skis delivered this week our shop is ever expanding--stay tuned! We are also excited to announce that Kandi's Food Truck will be a fixture on weekends (yummy food and great prices) and other special events/holidays...also lining up a trailside tasting from a local brewery...We are planning a pre-season ski sale: youth and gently used...think of us for your holiday gift shopping! Looking forward to another great ski season...
WINTER 2022-23
4/1/23 Current temp 43 degrees at 7 pm (no foolin, I'm 12+ hours late to this post...Today was a changeable day--listening to rain on the roof in the early morning, hitting 60+ degrees in the afternoon, and tonight's low will be 17 degrees. We literally watched the field coverage shrink in the span of a day. All good things must come to an end. Spring (and summer) is in the air. Trailside lodging now available year-round for hikers, bikers, boaters and fisherpeeps looking to enjoy nature through all four seasons. Call 315-558-4557 for reservations and details. Have a great day.
3/26/23 Current temp 33 at 6:30 am, high today 38, low 26 degrees. Currently snowing, we received a dusting overnight. Sad as it is, we are pulling the plug on the season. TODAY IS OUR LAST DAY OPEN (10am - 5pm). Conditions are still pretty decent, but each day above freezing degrades the base more and more and tho you can still ski around the few bare spots showing on the trail, by next weekend they will have grown large enough to cut off continuous skiing. Yesterday I skated Malloy Brook Trail in the rain which was soggy but satisfying. Today will be dry but soft with temps above freezing all day. Not a bad way to end the season--I feel kinda like Seinfeld; going out while still on top. Not gonna lie...waking up to a cup of coffee and NOT immediately logging onto the computer to post trail conditions will feel pretty nice too. A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who visited Osceola this year to ski and support this special little divot in the Tug Hill Plateau that has an extraordinary talent for attracting gobs of snow to play with. Hugh's parting promise was that the best part of the job is all the great people you meet. Wise words from a wise man, the people more than make up for the many equipment failures, challenges Ma Nature throws our way, and gallons (and gallons and gallons) of gas, diesel, kerosene, and propane it takes to make the show go on. We are looking forward to summer projects and fall prep and a new ski season some 200+ days from now. In the interim, have a great day!! Peace out.
3/25/23 Current temp 31 degrees at 6 am, high today 36, low 30 degrees. The plump lady is clearing her throat this weekend. Approximately an inch of new snow this morning will be followed by rain this afternoon. We will be open until noon today, then determine if it is worth staying open for the day based on visitors and weather. Tickets $10. So if you are not ready to hang up your skis, come on out for a last hurrah. Spring conditions include corn snow, soft patches, and mud in the parking lot (Import more gravel: on the list of things to do in the off-season.) TOMORROW WILL BE THE LAST DAY OF THE SEASON...and honestly, probably the better day between the two with more snow, not rain predicted. Have a great day.
3/24/23 Current temp 30 degrees at 6:30 am, high today 39, low 27 tonight. We are CLOSED today and tomorrow looks like a mixed bag of precipitation wanting to promise a few inches of wet snow, but we will see...Still snow on the trails but this is the end, my friend. Last call: Tomorrow and Sunday we will be open MORNINGS until noon then determine if it is worth staying open for the day based on visitors and tickets will be $10. Have a great day.
3/23/23 Current temp 36 degrees at 6 am, high today 45, low 27. Even if it wasn't Thursday, the rain today would warrant we are CLOSED. Snow depth at our Mesonet weather station is down to 11 inches, the rain will carve into this, then temps begin to drop this afternoon on the heels of a cold front. By midnight thermometer scuttles back down to freezing and Friday will be dry so we are still hoping to be open this weekend. Have a great day.
3/22/23 Current temp 30 degrees at 6 am, high 49, low 38 degrees. You've heard of a soft open...this is a soft CLOSE. Thomas will be around this morning to see our guests off, but he is not able to groom with these temps. Rain all day tomorrow does not fill my heart with joy. He will assess the trails Friday and we hope to be open for the weekend...Is this the last hurrah? Most likely with temps consistently in the 40's next week, but there is a snowball's chance in hell that we get another snow storm (please not rain) next weekend. Of course I will keep you posted. Have a great day.
3/21/23 Current temp 31 degrees at 6 am, high 42, low 30 tonight. Don't shoot the messenger--'cause you knew it was coming--but in addition to the reminder that we are CLOSED Tuesdays and Thursdays, at this point we may as well throw in all the other weekdays and try to preserve the trails for the weekend(s) if we can. Daytime high temperature continues to climb each day this week and by Thursday it's 50 and raining. Yuck. The weekend forecast is trending cooler with a chance of snow and I am not sure if it's an April Fool's joke or not, but the extended forecast for next weekend includes moderate to heavy snow with one site using the b-word (blizzard), lol. Anyhoo, grooming is off the table with these temps and skiing is a mixed bag of fast and slow depending on sun/shade, how warm and late it is in the day. After work yesterday I made my rounds as Head Stick Picker-Upper and it felt like the game "Operation" (remember the plump guy with the buzzing nose?) Sticks and other debris are tricky to remove without tweezers when they form their own mini channels in the snow. Not sure the cost of the drive is still worth the benefit of excellent skiing, but I promise I will keep you posted. If this is the end my friend, then all-in-all it hasn't been a bad season. We appreciate all the visitors and support we received this year and are already looking forward to next year. Have a great day.
3/20/23 Current temp 24 degrees at 6 am, high today 40, low 27 tonight. It's officially spring and yet it still feels like mid-winter in Osceola. Yesterday's lake effect came in via a gusty, blustery day (kudos to all the die-hards who braved the open field and made it to the wooded trails to enjoy a brisk ski yesterday) and dropped several inches of fresh powder to set the week up, but let's face it folks, the ski season will soon come to a close with days trending above freezing through the foreseeable future. I will be sure to keep you posted on the status of our hefty base and plans to hang up the grooming equipment and call it a day. As long as we stay dry, we could stay open for weeks to come, we will just have to see. Today trails will start out firm and fast but soften as the day warms. By 11 am we should be close to 32 degrees, so time your visit according to your preference, Golidlocks, and have a great day.
3/19/23 Current temp 17 degrees at 5:30 am, high 26 today, low 19 tonight. We received approximately 2 inches of fine powder overnight and are forecast to get another 6-8 inches through the day. Mesonet says "likely" for snowfall right this minute, but when I let Nedrow out to do his thing just now, I could see twinkling stars in the sky above and barely discern dark clouds to the north, so it will depend on which way the wind blows to determine when the lake effect will top us. Trails were exceptional yesterday but will be positively amazing today with fresh snow (and Thomas) returning the surface to a flawless zen garden of corduroy for your skis. Hope you can make it to Osceola to enjoy...next week temps return to above freezing each day and our season ended on this day last year so our days of ski fun are certainly numbered. Just how many remain is the $100,000 question. Have a great day.
3/18/23 Current temp 31 at 6 am, high today 33, low tonight 15 degrees. Scattered snow showers likely today but not adding up to much until Sunday. Expect spring conditions today--yesterday's rain has leeched out of the snow pack and Thomas will machine groom the surface crust to a nice corn. Tomorrow brings more measurable snow and spring is officially right around the corner but winter is still holding on to Osceola. Have a great day.
3/17/23 Current temp 31 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 44, low tonight 25. Happy St. Patty's day...let's see...is the luck of the Irish that we still have a hefty base of 15 inches at the weather station (even more packed underfoot on the machine groomed trails) and more snow/chill weather heading our way for the weekend...OR...that it's too warm for Thomas to groom so he will be able to strap on some skis and search for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow today? Today will be your classic spring conditions. Grooming to resume tomorrow. Have a great day.
3/16/23 Current temp 28 degrees at 6am, high 40 and partly sunny, the thermometer will hit 32 by 11 am and stay above freezing until Saturday 1 am...Good thing we got that storm to add another solid layer to the shelf we have worked so to hard to build and maintain through the beautiful woods of Osceola this winter. This weekend will bring chill temps back and more snow is in the forecast too. Unfortunately, I need to remind that we are CLOSED today THURSDAY and Thomas has other chores to attend to. Have a great day.
3/15/23 UPDATE: Haha, I'm silly. Grooming is complete at 11 am and this could be the best conditions in a week. Earlier post was misguided based upon what it took me to slog out to the chicken coop--snow falling into the top of my boots the drifts were so high. We got clobbered down in the southern hills, but Osceola is just right...roads are clean and the sun is popping out. Gonna be a gorgeous day of skiing.
Current temp 22 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today of 32 hits late afternoon around 4pm, low 18 degrees tonight. It's still snowing but this is expected to break up around 8 am. Hard to say exactly how much snow we received in total with the gusty winds creating drifts, but my guesstimate is 9-10 inches (double that for our farm in Smyrna and the Syracuse City School District is closed for the 2nd day in a row so this was a decent smackdown storm I would say) Thomas groomed trails before noon yesterday so he expects to begin the day with the roller to manage drifts. Ginzu will follow but it may the better part of the day to harness the plenty Mother Nature has graced us with, so if you have back-country skis today is a good day to strap them on. Have a great day.
3/14/23 Current temp 29 degrees at 6:30 am, high of 34, low 21 tonight. It is snowing mashed potatoes and snow is expected to continue through Wednesday. This is a wet and heavy nor'easter, which will add to our season's base and stick to the trees making for a winter wonderland scene. We are CLOSED today, Tuesday but will work this new stuff to make tomorrow a choice day to ski. Have a great day.
3/13/23 Current temp 32 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 36, low 30 degrees. Seems fitting that on the 30 year anniversary of the Bizzard of '93 we have another late winter storm beginning today...the big difference with this one is how long and drawn out the snow event will be. In Osceola we received a dusting overnight and it is currently snowing. Snow is expected to continue through Wednesday morning but snowfall rate will be slooow, so road crews should be able to keep up with road treatments and keep driving safe. Bulk of the snow will arrive tomorrow. With temperature hanging around freezing, this will be a heavy dump, but that is just fine for adding to our hefty base and extending the ski season. Springlike conditions, trails are tracked and surface is corn. Have a great day.
3/12/23 Current temp 12 degrees at 6:30 am (good morning, pardon the delay...what can I tell you I am a creature of habit and not a big fan of Daylight Savings) high today 36 with mostly sunny skies it may feel warmer this afternoon. Trails are still in great shape despite the recent trend of days rising above freezing thanks to our chill nights and hefty base. Spring-like conditions continue to make for softening conditions as the day progresses. More snow heading our way this week with another winter storm sneaking in before spring officially begins, March is behaving more like a snow leopard than a lion so far. Have a great day.
3/11/23 Current temp 28 degrees at 5:30 am, high today of 35 with light snow falling at the moment. This will taper off soon and the remainder of the day will be dry and mostly cloudy. Looks like we have another great weekend of skiing ahead. Trails are in prime condition with set track and skate lane. Good luck to Paul and all the other racers skiing the Tourathon at Winona State Forest today! Have a great day.
3/10/23 Current temp 13 degrees at 6 am, high today of 35 and cloudy. Trails are in great shape with set track and skate lane freshly groomed. Winter storm is not a biggie and will clip us this evening with just an inch or so of snow expected to fall in Osceola overnight (more the more south you go). Have a great day.
3/9/23 Current temp 20 degrees at 5:30 am, high 29, low 19, mostly cloudy...rinse and repeat for the last three days condition-wise, which is good because although we have not received any new snow all week, we haven't lost any either. Next chance for snow is forecast for Saturday and that sounds like it won't add up to much. Either way, should be a great weekend for skiing. Reminder we are CLOSED Tuesdays and Thursdays (except for our overnight guests and season pass holders). Have a great day.
3/8/23 Current temp 21 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 28, low 18 degrees. Cloudy and cool, we received a very slight dusting overnight. Trails are machine groomed frozen granular and corn snow. YTS Ginzu groomer works wonders on this stuff, grinding it down to a snowcone consistency and smoothing it back to a perfect cordoroy deck. Thomas plans to rework the set tracks to give you maximum glide today. We will be open tomorrow and the weekend brings a slight chance of more snow. Have a great day.
3/7/23 Current temperature 22 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 24, low 15. Reminder we are CLOSED on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Weather is trending cool (day temps remain in 20s, nights in teens) through the week with chance of light scattered snow showers so we will hold steady with our ample snow base. Ski season is not over yet in Osceola. Have a great day.
3/6/23 Current temp 28 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 34 degrees, hitting 32 by noon. It's deja vu groundhog day all over again except that today will be partly sunny. Yesterday was a great ski day--firm in the morning, softening slightly in the afternoon, with super good glide on the machine groomed corn snow. Plenty of snow for Thomas to refresh the cordoroy deck and set track. Luckily xc skiing is more sustainable than snowmobiling...it took just one weekend for their trails to get skied off but we are still basking in the plenty from the two consecutive winter storms last week. Thanks, mom. Have a great day.
3/5/23 Current temp 28 degrees at 5:30 am and snowing lightly, high today 35 degrees with a 40% chance of an inch of new snow today. Yesterday's heavy wet snow has firmed up overnight and Thomas will grind to return the surface to corduroy. Where possible he will set tracks. Trails will be firm until they are not--noon temp 34 degrees. There should be no sticking today despite the warm temps since the snow crystals are transformed and smooth now--expect springlike conditions. Have a great day.
3/4/23 Current temp 31 at 5:30 am, by 10 am we are at freezing, with a high of 35 degrees. We received approx. 6" of snow overnight and expect another 4+ by 11 am when things start to taper off. Wind last night was howling but has quieted down now. Thomas will roll first to level out trails then sculpt this beautiful abundance with the Ginzu. Set tracks on approx. 25% of trails--then it got too warm. Will set more track tomorrow. Have a great day,
3/3/23 Whoops--I failed to hit "save" this morning! old news now that it's 6pm...
...Current temp 17 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 36 degrees. Partly sunny with clouds rolling in this afternoon ahead of the next winter storm set to begin dropping snow (not wintery mix like in the flatlands) around 7pm. Trail conditions will be great today with set track and skate lane. So far March is making up for February's warm and dry trend. Have a great day.
3/2/23 Current temp 33 at 5:30 am, high today rising only 2 degrees to 35, then dropping swiftly back to chill after dark with tonight's low 14 degrees. Forty percent chance of rain/wet snow today so it's a good day to remind folks we are CLOSED on Tuesdays and Thursdays unless otherwise posted (or by appointment/overnight guest). Thomas will give the trails a day of rest and get back to it tomorrow when things return to below freezing. Excited for the winter storm heading our way. Seems to be perfectly timed right now for the heaviest rate of snowfall to hit Friday night into early Saturday morning and bring us 10 inches or more (woohoo!) which would make for a perfect ski weekend...in the meantime, have a great day.
3/1/23 Current temp 22 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 39 and mostly cloudy with light but wet snow showers (not trending rain like down below at this point hooray) likely in the afternoon, temp will be above freezing by 11am so early bird gets the sweet spot for skiing today. Trails are in spectacular condition with all the new snow we received. With gusty winds it's hard to say exactly how much snow we got but I would say at least a foot in the last 2 days. Track set and skate lane debris free, the warm weather will help compact this new snow and surface will firm up. We are keeping an eye on the next storm heading our way Friday night--could make for amazing conditions this weekend. Have a great day.
P.S. If a fabulous snow storm doesn't frighten you, we have lodging available this weekend due to recent cancellation--give us a call.
2/28/23 Current temp 25 degrees at 6 am, high today 34, low tonight 20 degrees. Approximately 4 inches fell overnight (hard to measure with blowing snow creating drifts) it will continue snowing through this afternoon adding another 5-7 inches before tapering off. I love a good storm! Gusting winds will limit visability and make travel difficult so please be safe today. Thomas will spend the day working on trails and parking lots. Reminder we are CLOSED on Tuesdays except for overnight guests and appointments. Have a great day.
2/27/23 Current temp 9 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 30, low tonight 23. The weekend brought the winter wonderland back to Osceola and trails are in prime mid-winter condition with plenty of packed powder groomed into skate and classic lanes. Just when you thought it couldn't get better, here comes another storm forecast to bring another 8+ inches of snow beginning early this evening through Tuesday. In an upside down winter and a backwards month, its not surprizing today will be one of the best days condition-wise in the month of February. Good luck to our Nordic skiers competing at States today! Have a great day.
2/26/23 Current temp 17 degrees at 5:30 am, today's high between 1 and 3 pm will be 32 degrees, low tonight 11 degrees. Yesterday was picture perfect with light snowfall accumulating 4-5 new inches of super fluffy snow and today will bring another few inches ove the course of the day. The new snow allows Thomas to "bring back the track" which has been missing for some time now due to low snow conditions. Feels like a return to normalcy and a return to winter, yippee skippee. Have a great day.
2/25/23 Current temp 17 at 6 am, high today of 20/low tonight 10. Cloudy with light snow showers likely in the afternoon. Trails are gorgeous and have 100% coverage. Thomas continues to grind and mix the new snow with the old so trails will be softer in the afternoon and the transformed snow crystals make for very fast conditions today. Winter break is almost over so come on out and get your ski on and have a great day.
2/24/23 Current temp 17 degrees at 6 am, that's our high today with temperature dipping to a low of -5 tonight. It's snowing now and chance of light snow showers remains throughout the day adding to the dusting of new snow we received last night. We are back to full coverage on all trails. Thomas crushed the icy glaze from the sleet/freezing rain that followed our new snow yesterday so trails will be fast and firm today. Not exactly ideal conditions for the just beginning beginners, but if you like to go fast, today is most certainly your day. Chance of snow showers each day throughout the weekend--not a bad way to wrap up the holiday break. Have a great day.
2/23/23 Current temperature 29 degrees at 6 am, high today 32/low 12 degrees tonight. It's another good news/bad news kinda day...good news: we received approximately 5 inches of snow last night which will alleviate any low spots on the trail system...bad news: this was follwed by a sustained period of sleet and freezing rain giving a nice candy coating to all surfaces. Freezing rain/sleet set to transition back into snow sometime soon this morning with occasionally light snow showers today. Thomas will wait a bit this morning for moisture to leech out of the snow before he grooms, so (more bad news) we are CLOSED this THURSDAY MORNING and I will hope to update later today with more good news that we were able to groom and OPEN this AFTERNOON...Stay tuned and have a great day.
UPDATE: We are not opening today after all. Gonna let the snow leech out moisture and groom later this afternoon. Enjoying a visit with Sarah and Cody in town from Seattle and Roy and Laura in from Old Forge. See you tomorrow,
2/22/23 Current temperature 27 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 29/low 27 degrees. Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Good News: winter storm begins dropping snow this afternoon with light snow showers getting heavier after dark and accumulating 6" or more through Friday just in time for the weekend...Bad news: the inch or so of snow/rain mix we received overnight was not enough to pad all trails back into shape. Malloy Brook Trail is still going strong with a solid base and Kamikazee provides access to the upper trails but we are still waiting on this new snow to refresh all trails. Patience grasshopper. Have a great day.
2/21/23 Current temperature 22 at 6 am, high today 38, low tonight will be 18 degrees. By 10 am we are above freezing, mostly cloudy with a mix of rain and snow beginning around noon. Trails are in need of new snow but there is still approx 85% coverage and with any luck what we receive this afternoon will be more snow than rain. Malloy Brook trail still has full coverage but warmer temps have prevented Thomas from being able to groom for two days. Other trails have low and/or icy patches under deeper tree cover but also long stretches of full coverageHowever, after much deliberation and guilty feelings, I am calling it a hookie day. I've asked for a proper vacation day and the groom(er) has approved it. So with sincere apologies we are CLOSED TODAY (TUESDAY) despite the holiday break. We are also watching with great anticipation the winter storm heading our way tomorrow night into Thursday--the prognosticators keep changing their minds, but right now calling for 8-10 inches which would be very much appreciated. That would freshen thing up very nicely thank you very much. If you need to get your ski on today, please visit the great trails just up the way at Osceola Ski and Sport Resort and have a great day.
LODGING AVAILABLE THIS WEEKEND DUE TO LAST MINUTE CANCELLATION. Please call 315-558-4557 if interested.
2/20/23 Current temperature 36 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 39, dropping to a low of 18 degrees tonight. With temps above freezing until 5pm, it is too warm to groom today. Spent the day yesterday with Zach patching bare/icy spots on Kamikazee and Baby Bridge to provide access to the upper trails, and there is more work to be done, but hopefully Mother Nature will be kicking in a helping hand soon? Keeping our eye on winter storm Olivia heading our way sometime Wednesday to give us a potentially decent dump of snow?!? Tomorrow may also bring us an inch or two of very welcome white stuff. Fingers crossed. Have a great day.
2/19/23 Current temperature 21 degres at 6am, high today 44 and mostly cloudy. I'm a little late to rise after wiping out on a hill yesterday so let me remind you to please be cautious with the thin spots! This forced me off shovel duty, so today is the day to get more patching done. Of course what we really need is for some more snow to fall from the sky rather than stealing from Peter to pay Paul, but either way, I don't like to have to take off my skis, do you? Majority of trails still have solid coverage and if it weren't for the beautiful trees (nope, don't go there)...good news on the horizon, forecast includes a bit of snow tomorrow and the next day, so fingers crossed and have a great day.
2/18/23 Current temperature 15 degrees at 5:30 am, high today of 33. Hooray...It's currently snowing and we received a dusting of snow last night--enough to white-out the bare parking lots and plenty for the Ginzu to mix with the old snow and refresh trail surfaces. Trails are in good shape despite the warm and wet weather we recently suffered through and work will continue to erradicate any remaining icy patches. I will update with any closed trails after I get a chance to ski out there and see what's what. Stay tuned for an update...but all in all, it looks like winter isn't gone yet in Osceola and we are off to a a good start for the holiday break. Have a great day.
UPDATE: Approx 90% coverage: hills and under deeper tree cover some icy spots; ski at your own risk. We are working to fill these in but not done yet. Malloy Brook Trail has full coverage. Bring rock skis or plan to take off if you encounter a low coverage patch.
2/17/23 Current temp 47 at 5:30 am, temperature will be dropping fast throughout the day (below freezing by 10 am) to a low of 10 degrees. Light snow showers beginning around 10 am will only add up to under an inch. Trail conditions are a mixed bag. Malloy Brook Trail has complete coverage, but other trails have ice/bare spots under thicker tree cover. We will work to patch these places and continue to dance for more snow. Temps remain cool through the weekend heading into the holiday break...hope to be open daily next week, weather permitting. Have a great day.
2/16/23 Current temp 39 degrees at 5:30 am, high today of 42, low tonight will be 28 degrees. Today will be dry and cooler, possibly a bit of snow arriving tomorrow. Reminder it is THURSDAY and we are CLOSED. Next week for school break we hope to be open everyday weather permitting. Have a great day.
2/15/23 Current temp (gulp) 40 degrees at 5:45 am, the high today will be (yikes) 53 degrees with a 40% chance of rain. Not sure whether to laugh or cry...if you like skiing in slush, today is your pick day, lol. Hosting high school sectional racces today at 3pm. Have a great day.
2/14/23 Current temp 32 degrees at 5:30 high today 38 and partly sunny. Happy Valentines Day. Good day to eat chocolate and buy some overpriced roses. (I asked Mother Nature to be my Valentine but clearly she is not interested.) We are CLOSED today. Have a great day.
2/13/23 Current temp 17 degrees at 5:30 am high today 40/low 28 and mostly sunny. It will be a beautiful day in Osceola, but sadly, by order of the groomer we are CLOSED TODAY...We are hosting a sectionals race this Wednesday and Tom is hoping to preserve the base so the high school athletes have solid trails to compete on. It has been a rough year for high school nordic ski teams and I think we can all agree it is important to support the next generation's participation in the sport of cross country skiing. This week is forecast to be incredibly mild so we will play it day-by-day and hope to make it to the weekend and the February break next week. Have a great day.
2/12/23 Current temp 14 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 39, low tonight 21 degrees. Mostly sunny and above freezing by 11am, expect spring-like conditions today, with trails getting softer as things warm up. Gonna feel more like mid-March than mid-February today, but that's good skiing too. Full coverage on all trails. Have a great day.
2/11/23 Current temp 26 degrees at 5 am, high today 29, low 19 degrees. We received a trace to an inch of snow last night--hard to tell because it's windblown. A few flakes of snow in the air this morning, the sun and snow clouds are fighting with eachother to get the upperhand today. We were hoping for more new snow overnight but at least it's cold--no complaints here. Thomas will be grooming all morning to recondition the trails. Conditions will be fast and firm, snow crystals have transformed to mostly granular, which he will mix with the fresh powder. With chilly air, there should be no trouble with sticking today. Have a great day.
2/10/23 Current temperature is 38 degrees at 5:30 am which is fortunately the high today with temp gradually decreasing to a low of 19 overnight. Unfortunately the rain delay continues and trails are CLOSED again today. Too warm to groom, too wet to ski. Rain expected to turn to snow late this afternoon with a few inches accumluation possible, which would help refresh the trails just in time for the weekend. Happy Birthday Thomas! Have a great day.
2/9/23 Current temp 21 at 5:30 am today's high will be 42 (!) and I don't need to remind you we are CLOSED because it's gonna be a rain-delay kind of day anyway. Weekend forecast includes snow, so once this rain passes and leeches out of the snow pack, we can get trails back into shape. We still measure 13" of snow at the weather station so this warm, rainy day won't scuttle our skiing this weekend. Have a great day,
2/8/23 Current temperature 34 degrees at 5:30, this is the high today, low tonight 22 degrees. Mostly cloudy with temp hovering around freezing all day, no precipitation, another mild "sprinter" day. Trails are still firm and Thomas will groom as best he can to resurface skate lane and track is set. Have a great day.
2/7/23 Current temp 8 degrees at 5:30 am, high today of 39, low tonight 28 degrees. Above freezing by 11 am, trails will become increasingly softer as the day progresses. Light rain will hold off until 4pm or so. Reminder we are closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays except for trailside lodgers...and the upcoming holiday recess for schools Feb 21 and 23. Have a great day.
2/6/22 Current temp 32 degrees at 5:30 am, high of 34 around 3pm today, low tonight 11 degrees. Chance of snow showers fades by daylight and the sun might make a showing today through milky clouds. Back to spring-like conditions, trails are firm packed and will become softer as the day warms up. Skate lane and track set, save your bikini for later in the week when thermometer threatens to break into the 40's. Still great skiing and plenty of snow in Osceola. Have grret day.
2/5/23 Current temp 18 degrees at 5:30am, high today is 38 (at 2pm) low tonight will be 28 degrees. Our bipolar winter continues...after the last few days of artic blast we will return to a week of daytime highs above freezing and evenings sliding back into the teens or 20s...crazy weather like this is hard to forecast out well--the forecast changes throughout the day and forget trying to accurately predict what's gonna happen two or three days into the future. I will do my best to keep you posted. Today morning and early afternoon will be the best time to ski with a slight chance of rain late afternoon close to closing time, then snow showers early evening giving us an inch or so of new snow overnight. Trails are in perfect shape and groomed with set track and skate lane. Have a great day.
2/4/23 Current temp -29 degrees at 5:30 am the high today will be 13 degrees. Dangerous wind chill will end today with thermometer seadiliy climbing through the day, by noon the temp will be zero. Thank goodness cross country skiing and snowshoing keeps the chill at bay and our thickly wooded trails keep the wind gusts away. Mom says don't forget warm mittens and a hat that covers your ears! Trails are in pristine condition with fresh powder on packed powder, skate lane and track set for classic, hope to see you in Osceola today. Have a great day.
2/3/23 Current temp 2 degrees at 5:30 am, wind chill -7 this is today's high with dangerously cold wind chill closing most schools today (woohoo, I got the day off!) We are CLOSED today except for overnight lodgers, who will have exclusive use of the trails today. Dubious honor considering it's gonna feel like more like Shackleton's Nimrod expedition to Antarctica than Upstate New York today with wind chill -32 at 10 am. Sorry to disappoint the hardiest of souls, and sure, the fresh snow we got last night makes for excellent trail conditions, but after a week dotted with grooming equipment glitches, Thomas is hanging up his hat and working inside today. I second the notion: grab a mug of cocoa or a cup of tea and snuggle into a good book or movie (Hey Mark, I've got Lessons in Chemistry) and have a great day.
(P.S. call us wimps, but if you are not to be dissuaded from your mission to ski today, please vist our neighboring ski center to the east, Osceola Ski and Sport Resort, and we'll see you tomorrow when weather is more moderate)
2/2/23 Current temp 19 degrees at 5:30 am, high 29/low -8 tonight. The sun will help warm things up today and the trails are in perfect shape for skate and classic striding. Expecting a few additional inches of snow this evening. As stated earlier this week, we are OPEN today, Thursday...tomorrow looks to be an Arctic blast so stay tuned. Have a great day.
2/1/23 Current temp 2 degrees at 5:30 am, the high today is 20, low tonight 14 degrees. Welcome to February--this month is floating in on a chillier forecast (after a warm/dry January, we don't mind at all). Wind chill alert heading our way in the next day or two, so it's a good thing you don't feel the cold when you are xc skiing--no cold butt sitting on the chairlift or waiting in line. Mostly cloudy with light snow showers throughout the day adding another 2+ inches freshy. Trail conditions don't get better than this. Plenty of fresh powder mixed with older snow means soft but firm corduroy and set track. Have a great day.
1/31/23 Current temp 20 degrees at 5:30 am, this will be the high today. Light snow showers this morning will soon end blessing us with a mostly sunny (hooray) day so bring your shades and sunscreen if you visit Osceola today. Reminder we are OPEN TODAY, Tuesday and Thursday this week...It would be a shame to ignore the gorgeous conditions and daily fresh powder we are receiving after the recent dry spell. Trails will be in prime shape today and throughout the week with more fresh snow in the forecast each day in the foreseeable future. Flawless skate lane and set track for both skaters and classic striders to enjoy. Hope to see you in Osceola this week, have a great day.
1/30/23 Current temperature 19 degrees at 5:30 am, high today of 26. Light snow showers today will add another inch or so fresh flakes to mix with the granular ice coating we gained over the weekend due to rain/sleet/wet snow/gropple--we got it all precipitation-wise yesterday. Skiers were surprisingly upbeat about the condition of the trails yesterday despite the misty conditions. Today will be much improved and the fresh snow mixed with the old will give us a fast and firm surface for skiing today. Thomas says he will be OPEN Tuesday and Thursday this week to accomodate appointments and trailside lodgers (plus with new snow expected throughout the week conditions are back to amazing after scraping the bottom of the barrel last week...I'm just glad I don't have to move snow to patch low spots anymore--that's just a distant memory now thank goodness. Happy Monday, have a great day.
1/29/23 Current temperature 21 degrees at 4:45 am, high today of 34, low tonight 17 degrees. Shockingly, the forecast has changed yet again. Early morning chance of sleet, then light snow showers scattered throughout the day. Thomas set a track late yesterday and trails will be good for skate and classic today, though please note temps will hover at or above freezing most of the day with wind chill in the mid 20's. Be sure to give your skis a fresh application of wax (universal glide wax on waxless) to keep from sticking in the warm temps. Today should be an improvement from yesterday since the snow has had time to mature and will not have the high moisture content it had yesterday. Regardless, today should be another beautiful day to get out there. Have a great day.
1/28/23 UPDATE 1pm--currently 33 degrees--it's warm and sticky today...Mesonet amended forecast and now says high of 34...still a little cool for water skiing, but if you are heading this way wax your skis (universal glide wax on waxless). No set track today--snow is too wet.
Current temp 27 degrees at 5 am the high today is 30, low 20. Overnight we recieved yet another several inches of snow and light snow showers today will add a few more by evening. Trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing and the conditions are super spectacularly good. Have a great day.
1/27/23 Current temperature 19 degrees at 5:30 am, high today willl be 29 with scattered snow showers adding up to another inch or so of snow by evening. We are swimming in snow and the trails are back to tip-top shape. Set tracks and skate lane will be pristine highways of packed powder. Can't ask for better conditions than today and a few inches more snow expected each day this weekend...Have a great day.
P.S. An unexpected cancellation means we have 2 rooms available this weekend for trailside lodging. Please call Kristin (315-558-4557) if interested.
1/26/23 Current temp 34 degrees at 5 am, thankfully the thermometer will continue to fall through the day (29 at 10 am, 27 at noon...) to a low of 16 degrees. Snow showers today expected to add another 4+ inches. Unfortunately, despite our abundance of snow, Thomas has an appointment that takes him out of Osceola so we are CLOSED TODAY (Thursday). He will groom later today and tomorrow is looking like a choice day for skiing with temps in the 20s and light snow showers. Low snow and bare patches on trails are most definately a thing of the past. Yaah snow. Have a great day.
1/25/23 Current temp 15 degrees at 5:30 am, high of 29 today. It's Christmas in January because we have been gifted with a winter storm hooray! We have received approx half a foot of snow since last weekend and more is coming today into Thursday. How much? Syracuse news stations say 5-8 but SUNY Albany Mesonet says 10+ before all is said and done Thursday evening. Any way you slice it, trails are back in tip-top shape. Yesterday Thomas helped Rose plot our trails for the updated map we plan to roll out soon--new and improved and includes new trails. Track will be set on some trails today, depending on depth of base. With new snow coming we expect to have all trails back to tracks by the weekend. Have a great day.
1/24/23 Current temp 29 degrees at 5:30 am, high of 32/low 26 today with light snow showers scattered through the day adding up to another few inches. With the new snowfall yesterday, trail conditions are the best they have been in over a week--any icy/low or bare patches are gone. We are open today (Tuesday) since Tom will be working on trails and equipment between appointments. Still no set track but hopefully after tomorrow's dump we will be able to return this. Have a great day.
1/23/23 Current temp 29 degrees at 5:30 am, high today of 30/low 25. Hooray--it's snowing!! Snow began yesterday early evening and added up to a few inches in Osceola (home in Smyrna we got more, but that's okay) snow will taper off this morning. It's a winter wonderland with snow clinging to all the trees, trails are gorgeous and this is just what we needed to fill in the low/icy spots on the trails. If you can make it to Osceola today will be great conditions for skate and classic skiing. Take a snow day and have a great day.
1/22/23 Current temp 27 degrees at 5:30 am the high today will be 32 degrees. Light snow showers throughout the day adding up to another few inches of snow by this evening, we are heading into a more snowy weather pattern with chance of snow forecast each day throughout the week--hope this adds up! Trails are surprisingly good despite our minimal snow, but I did miss the shot yesterday--"fast and firm" ended up being soft and easy. With warm temperature hovering around freezing again, today will feel much like a repeat of yesterday. All trails are open, but Thomas will not be grooming between Rocket Run and Screamer or Osceola U until we get a bit more snow. Again, no set track. Hope we can get that back soon with a little more snow. Have a great day.
1/21/23 Current temp 26 degrees at 5 am our high today is 30, low 23 degrees. Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow showers, we received a few inches of snow in the last 24 hours to help refresh the trail surface which was glazed with freezing rain and sleet in the last few days as well. I wish it had been more snow (more snow expected Sunday night into Monday), but we will take what we can get and try not to compain. What a winter so far. Thomas will not be able to set tracks until we get several more inches to work with, but the surface will be fluffed and by mid-day man-made tracks will be established. Should be a very decent day for skating--fast and firm. Have a great day.
1/20/23 Current temp 32 degrees at 5:15 am the high today is 33 degrees and the thermometer will hoover 1 degree above or below freezing through out the day until 3 pm when temp begins to dip to tonight's low of 21 degrees...hence: WE ARE CLOSED TODAY. It is snowing this morning--the warm, wet kind that's pretty to see but DO NOT TOUCH! Another inch or two expected to dribble out of the sky throughout the day. Thomas will have to wait until things get colder and the water has leeched out of the snowpack before he can check trail conditions tomorrow morning. Snow depth at the weather station is 7 inches so we are hopeful trails are still much as we left them Monday. I will keep you posted of course. Have a great day.
1/19/23 Current temp 27 at 5:45 am high today 34 degrees. Reminder that we are CLOSED Tuesdays and Thursdays except by appointment. Alas, today is not a good ski day weatherwise anyway... today will bring a mash up of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow. The forecast has changed every time I checked it so suffice it to say we will just have to see what the next 24 hours brings...have a great day.
1/18/23 Current temp 35 degrees at 6 am the temperature will remain a few degrees above freezing throughout the day then begin dropping around 8pm to a low of 24 degrees overnight. Light precip today will fluctuate between freezing rain and snow but not add up to much more than an inch...better snow is coming Thursday afternoon into Friday, hopefully adding up to 4 or so inches--that will allow us to give all trails a face lift, hooray. Too warm to groom today but luckily this balmy streak won't degrade our base much if at all. Verdict: don't bother, not worth the trip today. Patience is a virtue. Have a great day.
1/17/23 Current temp 10 degrees at 5 am, high today of 34 degrees with chance of freezing rain this afternoon, it's probably not necessary to remind that we are CLOSED Tuesdays and Thursdays except by appointment. Good news on the horizon...freezing rain will shift to snow overnight and Thursday may bring 3-4 inches of fresh snow just in time for the weekend. Like Christmas in January if that happens. Stay tuned and have a great day.
1/16/23 Current temp 1 degree at 5:30 am high today of 33. Sunny with thermometer rising above freezing for a short time, between 1-3 pm today will be a touch warmer than yesterday but otherwise today will feel much like a repeat of the weekend. Our cold nights mean status quo--we haven't lost much if anything of what we have and we've been patching the low spots under deeper tree cover. Trails will begin crusty with the chilly early morning temperatures, turning softer as the day progresses. Snow conditions are holding up and skate and classic skiers are happy for the opportunity to be out on the snow, but (I will spare you the longer rant of yesterday) more snow would be greatly appreciated. Sounds like we might just get some later this week? Have a great day.
1/15/23 Current temp 8 degrees at 5:30 am, today's high will be 29 but it may feel warmer than that with a mostly sunny forecast. Heading out for more trail repair this morning. The tall trees that make this property so beautiful are unfortunately also responsible for making thin areas in need of patching and that's where I come in...or better yet how about more snow the good old fashioned way--like falling from the sky? Not gonna lie, the humblebrag WE'VE GOT SNOW! when others don't feels less than hollow when really, we really NEED MORE SNOW! Come on, Mother Nature, it's winter already, you can do it! ...Sounds like something might be coming down the pike soon, but for today, trails will feel much like yesterday: fast and firm. Thomas will do his best to refresh the surface but we could really use more snow already. Have I said that already? Have a great day.
1/14/23 Current temp 17 degrees at 4:45 am the high today will be 22, low tonight 9 degrees. Light snow showers scattered through this morning added up to an inch or so of new snow in the last 24 hours, just enough to mix in with the old to make skiing firm and fast today. Unfortunately Thomas will not be able to set track on most trails today, but conditions for classic and skate skiing will be great despite the recent rain. We will inspect trails this morning for any potential low spots under heavy tree cover, our snow depth at the weather station reads 7 inches so our trail base is still thicker than that overall. Feeling blessed to have snow with this crazy winter so far. Today will be partly sunny and the beginning of a long holiday weekend. Can't wait to get out there. Have a great day.
1/13/23 Happy Friday the 13th. Current temp 34 degrees at 5:30 am this will be today's high thank goodness, temp falling to 26 degrees by 5pm, low 16 degrees tonight. Rain/snow this morning turning to all snow around 7am, an inch or so adding up during the day with a few more inches accumulation possible overnight...Thomas will groom trails later this afternoon once the temperature falls below freezing. Our snow depth at the weather station is 7 inches, down from 8 yesterday so the rain took a bite, but did not come even close to finishing us off. Not so unlucky after all, but today's conditions are soggy until late afternoon, so please give the trails a break until the excess water can leech out and Thomas can get things refreshed for the holiday weekend...which looks to be great weather for skiing: cold and mostly sunny. Have a great day.
1/12/23 Current temp 29 degrees at 5:15 am, mostly cloudy today's high 38 degrees. Snow this morning forecast to change over to rain this afternoon...turning back again into snow Friday evening into Saturday. Reminder that it is THURSDAY so we will be CLOSED today. Yesterday the Camden Nordic Ski Team visited for practice and our other visitors share the same feedback: Osceola is an exceptional phenomenon--we have snow when others don't. Our trails are in uncommonly great shape but it's shocking to many who make the trip because it's not until you are within a few miles of the ski center that the snowpack looks promising. We've had great skiing all week, but you would never know it watching the national or even local (Syracuse) news. Reminder we have 2 webcams on site for visual proof before you come. And although we are not happy when rain is included in our winter forecast, it will pass and we will still have snow. Hope you can make it up for a ski this weekend. Have a great day.
1/11/23 Current temp five degrees at five am. Today's high 30 degrees mostly sunny with increasing clouds. Trails are in good shape despite the minimal (but hey a few inches is better than nada) new snow we have received over the last several days. Thomas has done the best he can to grow a good crop of corn snow. Skate skiing will be firm and fast today, good for classic striding too but looking at the weather forecast, it looks like no tracksetting possible until (fingers crossed) this weekend...or...earlier next week depending on how much snow we get in the next 2 waves of precip. heading our way from the west coast. Chance of snow tonight, then expecting a short warm up between Thursday and Friday afternoons with rain/wintery mix/back to snow. Snow showers likely through the holiday weekend. All in all we are feeling fortunate that we have a good shelf of snow on all trails. Have a great day.
1/10/23 It's Tuesday but Thomas is OPEN by request to accommodate the die hards who NEED to get their feet on the snow. (We get it and we have SNOW!!) Current temp 28 degrees at 5:15 am there's a few zealous flakes swirling in the air and it's cloudy. This is today's high and temps will continue to drop to a low of 16 degrees tonight. Snow depth at weather station reads 7 inches, soil temp at 2 inches deep is 33.3 degress so yes, more snow and more cold please and thank you if you are listening, Mother. Skate conditions are solid today, still no set track for you classic folks. Snow forecast brewing for this weekend but still too far out to determine if it will pan out enough to get that track set again. What can you do? Anyhoo, have a great day.
1/9/23 Current temp 19 degrees at 5:30am, high today of 32. Cloudy with a chance of light snow today, tonight snow showers forecast to give us an inch or two. We'll take it. All trails open except for section between Rocket and Screamer. Trails are groomed but not enough snow to set a track. Even so, the skiing is decidely decent according to our visitors yesterday. Have a great day.
1/8/23 Yes, we are open and conditions are surprisingly good. Current temp 11 degrees at 5:30 am today will be sunny and colder, high of 31. Trails are patched and repaired where snow cover was low but most trails still have a base of close to a foot of packed powder. Snow depth at the weather station in 7 inches, but packed trails retain their snow longer than the untouched stuff. The YTS Ginzu groomer is an amazing tool for resurfacing trails and is desinged to make the most of even low snow condtions--it's a miracle machine. Trails are firm and fast for skaters and classic striders will get excellent glide on the new packed powder. Have a great day
1/7/23 UPDATE: 9:15 am 31 degrees and cloudy...do you want the good news or bad news first? Good news the trails aren't as bad as I expected (congratulating myself for all the stick-picking-upping I do when I ski the trails--pretty clean everywhere) 95% coverage thanks to the new snow...bad news: a couple washouts where culverts got plugged (between Rocket Run and Screamer and on Nice and Easy south of Rocket.) Hills are mostly navigable but Rocket shows a few rocks and Lightning has a bare spot at the top. Beggars can't be choosers and at least we have skiable snow. Have a great day,
UPDATE: 8 am still too warm to get on trails with grooming equipment but all in all the trails are in pretty good shape. If you like both classic and skate skiing, I would opt for classic this morning because Thomas can't lay corduroy until things get colder and two inches of wet, heavy snow will make for sluggo-skate conditions. Thumbs up for classic striding. In fact, I am heading out to check on culverts and hills--stay tuned...
We will be open today. Current temp 32 degrees at 5 am, this is actually the high today and temperature will decrease throughout the day to a low of 14 overnight. Finally some cold weather. We received a scant few inches of heavy new snow last night and early this morning, then mostly cloudy today. Thomas will get out there as soon as the temperature dips a few more degrees below freezing to see what he can do with the new stuff. We still have a solid half foot base in our little divot micro-climate, but we are still in serious need of more snow. Trails have considerable debris (sticks, pine needles, etc.) showing from the various windy days and melt down of the recent past and a couple inches won't cover everything, so bring your rock skis and stay tuned. I will post an update after Thomas comes in from grooming to offer more details on trail conditions...
1/6/23 CLOSED today, but looking promising for the weekend. 29 degrees at 5:30 am high today of 36 with chance of rain or snow showers. The weekend will remain below freezing temps and a the few inches of new snow forecast to drop between Friday and Saturday would help Thomas refresh the surface of our 6 inch base on trails. He will give all trails a through check up today to determine what we can offer this weekend. I know, i know, I am itching too...Have a great day.
1/5/23 CLOSED. Current temp 38 degrees at 5 am, high of 41 and mostly cloudy but dry today. Sounds like we might get 2-3 inches of snow between Friday and Saturday fingers crossed. A few new inches is all we need to refresh trails since we still have base intact. Still, it can't hurt to do a snow dance just in case. Stay tuned and have a great day.
1/4/23 CLOSED. Current temp 35 degrees at 5:30 am, high 43 degrees today and more rain. Sigh. We still have a 7 inch base but need the weather to cool. A few inches of new snow expected this Friday into Saturday. We really hope to be open this weekend. In the meantime, have a great day.
1/3/23 CLOSED today but fingers crossed for this weekend. Current temp 31 degrees at 6 am our high in Osceola is 40 today. Here comes the rain. Expecting rain on and off today and tomorrow, hopefully changing over to snow Thursday night. Stay tuned and have a great day.
1/2/23 Still CLOSED unfortunately. Current temp 35 degrees at 5 am, high today 38 degrees another dry but cloudy day. Rain expected over the next few days with highs around 48 degrees, Thursday shows some promise to break the tide of warm weather--just in time for the weekend? We can only hope...you have a great day.
1/1/23 We are CLOSED but Happy New Year anyway. Current temp 33 degrees at 5:30 am temperature never fell below freezing last night, sigh. High of only 36 degrees today, but our base is down to 9 inches at the weather station. I really hope Ma Nature's reolution for the new year is to make more snow. This warm up is painful after such a great week of skiing. I resolve to be more patient in the new year. Have a great day.
12/31/22 We are sadly CLOSED until further notice. Need cold and snow to ski. Happy New Year's Eve please be safe and have a great day.
12/30/22 Hmmm...Current temp 35 at 5:30 am, high today of 46 degrees. Cloudy but dry, the chance for a sprinkle of rain increases late this afternoon and evening but tomorrow may be a complete rain-out so today might be the last day we will keep trails open until weather conditions improve (or we can figure how how to truck in some of the copious stuff they got just north of us). Thomas cannot groom with temps above freezing but trails still enjoy 100% coverage. Spring-like conditions--feels like March in December. If you like skiing in soft conditions, today is your pick day (yesterday was great--it's still skiing but this weather is ridiculous at this time of year.) Shop will be open for sales today, can't promise anything tomorrow. Stay tuned...Have a great day.
12/29/22 Current temp 20 degrees, high today 44 degrees. Partly sunny, by 10am it will be 32 degrees and remain above freezing for, ugh, the next few days (Sunday night is next time temps will dip below freezing--Happy New Year?!?!) Hey look on the bright side--at least it won't be raining (yet). We will be OPEN today and conditons will be spring-like. Thomas is grooming early morning then we will have to play the waiting game with Mother Nature until temps are low enough to groom trails again. We are fortunate to have a deep base--we will weather this non-storm, but you may want to dress in shorts and a t-shirt for your day on the snow! Have a great day.
P.S. One of our vistors from Rochester lost a set of 3 house (?) keys with a YMCA tag of Greater Rochester Area and mini swiss army knife on the ring in our parking lot--please call me to claim it (315) 558-4557
12/28/22 Current temp 22 degrees at 5:30 am, high today 34, low tonight 26 degrees. Another mostly cloudy day made bright with white landscape and great ski conditions. The trails are in great condition--not too soft and not too firm, just right Goldilocks, according to reviews from classic and skate skiers alike. Light snow showers will give us another dusting of fresh powder onto the thick base. our fingers are crossed we will weather the coming warm up until temps trend cool again. In Osceola temps will bump a few degrees above freezing for just a few hours today. Have a great day.
12/27/22 (Tuesday) Reminder we are OPEN EVERY DAY this week for the holiday break. Current temp 19 degrees at 5:30, high today 25 degrees, a near repeat of yesterday with chance of light snow showers throughout the day offering little more than a dusting of new powder. Again trails will be firm, fast and fabulous for both classic and skate skiing. Have a great day.
12/26/22 Happy Monday (especially if you have the week off from work--kind of--like me) Current temp 15 degrees at 5:30 am, high today of 21 degrees mostly cloudy with light snow showers--just below the intense persistent band of lake effect forecast to pummel areas to the north of us. Won't add up to much new snow but we have a hefty base of 16 inches compacted snow (with a total of 110 inches this season). Surface is loose granular and powder so conditions will be fast and amazing. Trails groomed for skate and classic techniques. Hope to see you in Osceola, have a great day.
12/25/22 Merry Christmas! Current temp 12 degrees at 6:45 am our high today will be 19 degrees, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow it is peace on earth in Osceola. Most trails are open and packed firm with a few inches of powder at the surface. Today we will tackle the steepest hills we have avoided after too many times burying rquipment in the deep snow. Good times. Great workout. Who needs a gym membership? Man vs. nature always preferred to man vs. man and man vs. himself (although there was a little of that too this past week truth be told.) Have a great day.
12/24/22 Merry Christmas Eve our current temp is 3 degrees at 5:30 am and our high today will be 12 degrees, cloudy with blowing snow we will be open and probably grooming the entire day today to get the trails in top shape for the holiday week. Have a great day!
12/23/22 Current temp 41 and 5:30 am, high today of 43...low 4 degrees. Can you say whiplash? ...but really it's not all bad news as I see it...though it rained through the night and it's raining now, as the temperature plummets precip. will turn to snow at approximately 1pm today and 4-6 inches of new snow is expected to cover the crust this rain is producing. Snow depth as measured at our Mesonet weather station has compressed down to 18 inches (from 37 just three days ago--watching the webcam the snow that was up to the TOP of the chainlink fence is now only half way up)...Not gonna lie--this brings a sigh of relief after struggling mightily to tame too much of a good thing to make trails skiable. A few inches of new snow on top of the "ice road" of packed snow developed over the last several days is all we need to make a great surface for skate and classic skiing. Please stay tuned for holiday hours of operation as we work to manage this latest storm. Light snow showers forecast throughout this weekend (off and on) so we still hope to be open tomorrow for Christmas Eve and also on Christmas Day. Have a great day and please drive safe. Flash freeze, high winds and other unpleasant weather still upon us today. (PS, we are closed today!)
12/22/22 Current temp 19 degrees at 5:30 am, high today of 36, low 30 degrees and mostly cloudy with light snow showers in the afternoon--leading up to the STORM OF A GENERATION that is predicted to begin tomorrow. Too much of a good thing? Perhaps. We are closed today and still working on packing and grooming trails. Working with this amount of snow is hard work and rough on equipment. Thomas will be retrieving the snowmobile and roller he abandoned yesterday on one of the hills (and next time he promises to heed my recommendation to pack a pair of snow shoes in case he needs to walk out). Most trails are rolled, minus steeper hills like Lightning, Screamer, Kamikazee, and Osceola U. Thank you for your patience folks. It's been like climbing a mountain to tame this snowfall. As it settles and condenses it firms up and gets easier to surf and pack. Grooming is a multistep process and we are doing the best we can but Mother Nature is truly in charge. We are watching the winter storm warnings for tomorrow and will keep you posted--high winds mean warnings of windspread power outages so I hope to keep internet service in order to post...Have a great day.
12/21/22 Happy Winter Solstice to all! Current temp 12, high today of 30 degrees and cloudy..feast or famine comes to mind...Thomas had a tough day of moving snow and down trees and getting equipment stuck yesterday and will continue to work on trails today. I have new appreciation for the folks around Buffalo that had to deal with double this amout of snow in one fell swoop earlier this month, yeesh...Still, better than tornado or flooding. Have a great day.
12/20/22 UPDATE 7pm: Current temp 23 degrees and lightly snowing. Today was another full day of digging out. We will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday) as we continue to manage all this beautiful snow before changeable weather this weekend. We will be open everyday next week for the holiday break, including Christmas eve and Christmas day. Have a great evening.
APOLOGIES FOR THE LATE POST--my internet is down at home (!)
...and what a day to be late with great news...Osceola got 37 inches of new snow yesterday. Honestly, it's days like yesterday that make me marvel at how Hugh managed the ski center singlehandedly all those years--it was an all day job for both of us to keep the main parking lot clear. Current temp 24 degrees at 10 am, high today 26, low 16 and cloudy. Sadly (and yet fortunately, lol) we are closed on Tuesdays and today Thomas will be surfing the 3+ feet of snow to pack and groom trails for tomorrow. Conditions should be fantastic...please check tomorrow's post (and maybe later tonight after I have caught up with the head groomer for a report out) to confirm trail conditions. Have a great day!
12/19/22 Current temp 27 degrees at 5:30 am, high today of 31/low 16 degrees. What a difference a day makes! Twenty inches of snow on the ground now and it will continue to snow heavy throughout the day, tapering in the afternoon to light snow showers. Thomas will spend the day managing this mana from heaven beginning with the roller to pack down trails. He has his hands full today I think. Drive safe and have a great day.
12/18/22 Current temp 25 at 6:30am high today of 30 degrees low 24 light snow today turns heavy tonight thru Monday afternoon with accumulation of 12 inches or more, just what we like ? and needed to achieve full coverage on all trails. Six in depth overall and today trails will be firm but beware patches of thin snow under thicker tree cover. Have a great day
12/17/22 Current temp 31 degrees at 5:30 am, high today will hover around freezing, low 21...such a tease...today is sadly a bit of a bust and now tomorrow is looking like the better day of the weekend to groom. Thomas will try rolling in an hour as the temp is expected to take a little dip (I saw it drop one degree in the time it's taken to write this paragraph) but not feeling uber-confident with thermometer hovering near freezing all day beginning to dip around dinnertime...better possibly to wait until tomorrow after temperature sits in the 20s for several hours and some of the wet in this snow has had a chance to dissipate. Light snow showers expected throughout the day, this will add up to an inch or so but the big snow is now forecast to come between 7 am Sunday and 7 pm Monday (foot plus). We will be here in the shop today but if you are reading this and it's a bit of a drive to get here, between today and tomorrow I would recommend tomorrow for better ski conditions. Don't shoot the messenger and have a great day.
12/16/22 Current temp 34 at 6 am, high today of 35, low 28. Sluggo, 6 inches of heavy snow on the ground now with more coming. Not much we can do about this wet stuff but pleased to see the forecast now promises below freezing temps tomorrow and snow expected for the next several days to add up in FEET on the Tug Hill. Many factors at play--temp, wind direction, etc, so stay tuned...and have a great day.
12/15/22 Current temp 22 degrees at 6 am, high today 33/low 31...still keeping a watchful eye on the approaching winter storm...snow total forecast increasing to 10-14 inches with temps hovering around freezing, heaviest snowfall coming tonight through Friday afternoon, by Saturday it looks to be tapering to lighter rates of snowfall through the day, so roads should be well cleared and managable for a sweet FIRST DAY to OFFICIALLY OPEN trails! ...Intrepid folks are welcome to come on Friday but Thomas will be watching the thermometer for best opportunity to groom. Don't want to mess with the stuff when things are too warm...have a great day hope to see you in Osceola soon!
12/13/22 Brrr! Current temp -1 at 6am, high today 28, low 14. Sunny but cold, just the way we like it! Snow depth only 2 inches so we are keeping an eye on the timely storm expected to blow in just before the weekend...will keep you posted, in the meantime, have a great day.
12/12/22 Current temp 26 degrees at 6:30 am, the high today will be 30, low 8 degrees. Snow depth settled to 3 inches, ground temp 33.3 degrees at 2 inches. Sounds like more snow is coming just in time for the weekend. Hopefully the temp stays cool so we land some fluffy stuff. It's beginning to look like winter here in Osceola. Have a great day.
12/11/23 Current temp 28 degrees at 8:30 am, high today will be 30, low 24 degrees. Hooray--it's snowing this morning--light dusting so far but forecast to add up to 2-6 inches (hope it's 6!) by evening. The week ahead is cold with lows in the teens and snow showers forecast Thurs-Sat so next weekend maybe a go, fingers crossed, with enough snow for skiing...so have a great day.
12/10/22 Current temp 23 degrees at 9am high today will be 35, low 23 degrees. Expecting snow tomorrow and glad for the cooling trend because we want the ground to freeze for snowfall to stick around. Right now soil temp is 33.6 degrees at 2 inches. After today's high, the extended forecast keeps daytime highs below freezing so we are close to the sweet spot. Hope we get lots of snow tomorrow, but have a great day today.
12/8/22 Current temp 38 at 6:30 am and another wet day, high today 38 low 22 degrees sound like we may get a few slushy inches this Sunday? Not exactly exciting but the trend is chilling...
12/7/22 Not gonna lie--this warm trend makes it difficult to muster the enthusiasm to post a report. Current temp 42 (!) degrees at 6am high today 48 degrees with rain and fog, snow depth zero inches. Soooooo glad global warming is a hoax. Sounds like things will chill out a bit this weekend, sigh. Anyway, have a great day.
12/4/22 current temp 29 at 8 am, high today of 32, low 22 degrees today. Snow last night settled into 1 inch deep--sadly not enough to get your glide on. Patience is a virtue. Pray for more snow!
12/3/22 Current temp 35 degrees at 7am climbing to a high of yikes 47 today. Don't let the white on the webcams fool--you'll need ice skates not skis if you come to Osceola today. Rain all day turning to snow around 9pm, we do not expect enough to make it matter. Trails won't be open this weekend. We have several trees down from the high winds to contend with and only half finished clearing. Have a great weekend.
12/2/22 Current temp 25 degrees at 6:30am high of 38 today. Snow that fell has settled to 4 inches deep. Thomas will be checking trail system for downed trees and branches after yesterday's high winds and hopes to pack trails today. Unfortunately temps are forecast to be above freezing this evening through Saturday 8pm with a high tomorrow of 46 degrees and rainy which brings us back to spring slush conditions. Sigh.
12/1/22 Current temp 27 degrees at 6am, our high will be 33/low 22 with new snow on tap--Welcome to December! A few inches already on the ground, we expect 6 or more to fall today, and maybe more if the wind blows right. We are still closed but Thomas hopes for enough to pat down on the trails. With daytime highs above freezing for the next several days and rain mixed in with snow this weekend, we have not decided whether we will open the trails or not, so please check back for update...
11/30/22 high 48/low 25 more rain turning to snow...6-12 inches depending on which way the wind blows. soil temp 38.3 so it's anyone's guess at this point if we will be grooming and open this weekend, stay tuned...
11/29/22 high 38/low 30 mostly cloudy slight chance of rain
11/28/22 Almost not worth reporting, lol...raining with high of 45.
11/27/22 Current temp 29 degrees at 7:30 am. High today 45/low 33 rain begins around 1pm and with any luck switches over to snow by early evening, however daytime highs to remain above freezing all week. Easy come, easy go, pray for snow.
11/26/22 Welp, it's gonna be a scortcher today. Current temp 36 at 8 am with a high of 46/low of 30 degrees. Morning clouds will give way to sun midday then clouds return ahead of Sunday's rain out. Sigh. Hope the cold weather returns soon.
11/25/22 Happy Black Friday!?! Current temp 37 degrees and raining. High of 41 we are expecting rain all day to taper into light snow by evening. Sounds like perfect forecast to stay home and order merch online...just remember: everything you order online needs to be shipped and adds to pollution and global warming. Save our planet, ski more, burn less fossil fuel and buy more local! (ok, lecture over)
11/24/22 Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you are enjoying the holiday with family and friends. Beautiful sunny day in Osceola current temp 27 degrees at 9:30 am with a high of 47 degrees, low 30...rain/wintery mix expected tomorrow with high of 42 degrees; sunny with high of 44 on Saturday, then rain on Sunday with a high of 46 degrees. We will not be open for skiing this weekend but hope more snow is soon coming...
11/22/22 Current temp 24 degrees at 9 pm--late post due to tired eyeballs...high was 34 degrees today with low 22 degrees. Soil temp 37.8 at 2 inches and weekday temps high in low 40s doesn't bode well for snow to stick around. Snow depth now 6 inches--less under thickest tree-cover--we don't expect to be opening this weekend. Patience grasshopper.
11/21/22 Current temp 18 degrees at 6am, high today 30 degrees. Patly sunny, we received another foot plus of snow yesterday. Trails will be groomed but we are not open yet. Such a tease, I know...keeping an eye on the temperature and still working on the lodge bathroom (why do DYI projects always take 10x longer than you plan for?) we hope to be open this weekend.
11/20/22 Brrr! Current temp 20 degrees with wind chill of 14, high today of 25/low 10 degrees--just the way we like it! More lake effect snow to top off the 7 inch base we currently have but the most persistent band will be just below us today. Expecting 6-12 inches but we will see what Mother Nature decides. We are not open today, but there are plenty places to get out and enjoy the good stuff. See you soon,
11/19/2022 Current temp 21 degrees with a high of 30 and low of 18 degrees today. Partly sunny with heavy snow expected Sunday night. Winter has begun in Osceola...sadly, we are not opening this weekend because we are still finishing bathroom renovations in the lodge. Stay tuned, with luck we will open next weekend...hope you get out and enjoy the white stuff regardless!
11/17/22 Yaaaah, it's snowing!! Our first measurable snow began this week and it's expected to add up over the next few days, making everything sparkle...one foot already accumulated. Sadly, this won't likely stick around with temps fluctuating and the ground not yet frozen...but we hope to open very soon!
11/2/22 Summer lingers temperature-wise...only the downed leaves signal winter is around the corner. Trails are clear of leaves and branches. Just waiting for snow...
10/5/22 Trail clearing continues: branches and larger trees. Firewood a plenty. Love the smell of fall..Winter is just around the corner and forecast is a big one..
9/25/2022 Grass on trails is beginning to slow growth. Nights are getting cooler and leaves are turning. It's beginning to feel like autumn and summer is gone now. As Hugh says, "Winter comes early in Osceola."