Major Storm Pounds Jay Peak

by the SkiNet News Desk

Jay, VT, Jan. 2, 2002--What forecasters thought would be a dusting has resulted in a 36+ hour storm that has produced more than 2 ft of snow at Jay Peak since late Saturday.

"It is true Jay Peak weather!" stated Bill Stenger, President/GM of Jay Peak. "It is not uncommon for us to see snow squalls dump 4-6-8" of snow in a short period of time. The snow we are seeing currently is due to the lake effect that saw more than 6 ft of snow dump in Buffalo over the past 4 days", concluded Stenger. Jay Peak received 15-18" of snow from Sunday morning to Monday morning and another 8" so far today.

The orographic lift that produces an amazing amount of snow at the resort is what many call the Jay Cloud. Jay Peak is on the downslope side of the northern-most mountain range of the Green Mountains. If you stand at the top of Jay Peak and look north and northwest you see the Saint Lawrence River Valley in the distance. Moisture clouds that circulate over northern New England and southern Québec rotate in a counterclockwise motion and travel over the vast southern Quebec flat plain. These clouds hit the northwestern side of the Jay Peak ridge. Upon colliding with this mountain range, the moisture clouds rise up leeward over the mountain ridge and drop their moisture (snow) on the other side. Jay Peak is part of a mountain range including Big Jay, Jay Peak and North Jay Peak, which form a 4,000 foot high barrier, the first mountain barrier storm clouds encounter when crossing over northern New England.

For more information and photos check out JAYPEAKRESORT.COM.


A Jay Peak skier dances through the trees. Credit: Jay Peak Resort.

reprinted from skinet.com