“First snow of the season” seen on Sugarloaf Mountain

CARRABASSET VALLEY, Maine – October isn’t over yet, but parts of northern New England were transformed into a winter wonderland on Monday.

Sugarloaf Mountain shared photos of “the first snow of the season.”

“It’s still coming down strong,” a post on the resort’s website around noon said. “This sort of precipitation symbolizes temps below freezing. That means our snowmakers can get back to doing what they love most – making snow.”

There was a solid 3 inches of snow that fell in the last 24 hours, the website stated. According to the National Weather Service, there’s no more snow in the forecast for the area this week but it will be cold, with high temperatures not making it out of the 40s. 

Sugarloaf plans to open for skiing on November 17. The ski season usually runs through early May. 

Earlier this month, the first measurable snow of the season was recorded on New England’s highest peak – Mount Washington in New Hampshire. The Mount Washington Observatory shared photos of rime ice covering the summit.

Can skiers expect a snowy winter this year? The National Weather Service forecast is predicting a warmer than average winter, especially for parts of northern New England. 

While warm weather isn’t what snow lovers want to hear. . . that doesn’t mean all hope is lost on the slopes. The temperature increase doesn’t preclude the area from getting some major snowstorms. The WBZ NEXT Weather team notes that it only takes a big nor’easter or two to define the season.