November 26-27, 2016

It's finally here! The 2016-2017 ski season in the East has arrived! A very warm and sunny fall proved nice for extending patio season, and allowed everybody to enjoy their summer activities well into October. On this flip side, it wasn't the best for ski hills, who were forced to postpone their early-season snowmaking due to warmer-than-average nights. Up until this past week, skiing in the East was limited basically a few mountains in New England, all several hours away.

Montreal and Ottawa had their first snowfall of the season on Sunday night, just in time for Sommet Saint-Sauveur's opening this past Tuesday, November 22nd. This opening is one of the latest in recent years, but better late than never! Following their tradition of opening on American Thanksgiving, Mont Tremblant opened this past Thursday, the 24th. This weekend, skiing is still somewhat limited, as snowmaking grinds to a halt with warm weather moving in. Apart from Mont Tremblant and Sommet Saint-Sauveur, the only other opening in Quebec appears to be Camp Fortune, opening tomorrow, the 26th.

Next weekend many major ski hills are planning to open, including Bromont, Mont Sainte-Anne, and Mont Blanc. We may also get some surprises from some smaller ski hills that haven't announced any date in particular yet, and we're not ruling out a surprise opening from Ski Saint-Bruno in the near future. With temperatures this weekend rising above the freezing point, conditions this weekend may become a bit soft on the surface, with a hard man-made base below. Note that the open hills may not all have beginner terrain accessible, nor will the conditions be ideal for early learners. Happy skiing!