I must admit to our viewers and readers this day....
I have never been snowmobiling before! Until now...
I know I'm sad I haven't been before now too, especially living here in northern Vermont. What can I say? I guess my excuse is that the chance never came into fruition before.
So there I am, on the left hand side of this blog on the yellow snowmobile. Wow! That is an aggressive face. Okay maybe not, I think I only made it up to 40 mph when I was driving, but reached nearly 80 mph as a passenger!
I had a blast! I have a whole new appreciation for the snow that falls from the sky. Ski resorts can readily supplement manmade snow but these trails are dependant on the all natural and those groomers. I was very impressed by the network of VAST trails and the conditions. There were a couple of tricky spots on open fields where snow was blowing all over. Other than that it was awesome.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/nerfc/graphics/snowmaps/sd1_today.jpg
Average snow depth across the region is at roughly 6-12", some much less and some much more as of February 25, 2013. Snow is in the forecast for the last week of February, but mixed with pockets of sleet and rain in the warmest valleys and closer to the MA border. Still though, the extended forecast through early March shows scattered snow showers and generally at or below freezing temperatures for much of the time and much of the area, give or take a couple of warmer days here and there.
My path took me from Derby Line to Jay, roughly a 70-mile roundtrip when it was all said and done. I went over Lake Memphremagog, which made me nervous at first but when I saw all the trucks driving around on the ice I felt better. The snow started coming down as we pulled into the Jay Village Inn parking lot and continued on our trip back to Derby Line. For my first time experience I had a great time and am already looking forward to the next trip.
-Meteorologist Steve Glazier
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