Snow guns blow a mist of snow over skiers as they make their way down Hayburner trail on opening day at Sugarloaf in 2022. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald
The ability to make snow has Maine’s ski areas optimistic about the winter season and confident they can bounce back from the heavy rain and warm temperatures predicted for later this week.
Many of Maine’s ski resorts are capable of making their own snow when Mother Nature fails to provide, Ski Maine Executive Director Dirk Gouwens said.
“Truthfully, we really don’t need a lot of natural snow. It’s really more to make people feel like it’s really winter,” Gouwens said in a phone call Monday evening. “We do need cold weather, obviously, in order to make (snow).”
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They might need to, according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, which says this winter could bring warmer-than-average temperatures and a limited amount of snow – though overall precipitation could be near-normal.
Some slopes have already opened and are reporting strong numbers for the early season and relatively high sales of season passes, Gouwens said. He said ski areas set a statewide attendance record two years ago, and last year’s numbers were slightly lower but still “well over our 10-year average.”
He said snowmaking machines are among the most significant expenses at most Maine mountains, but improvements in the technology have lowered energy needs and costs in the past 25 years. Meanwhile, pandemic-driven surges in attendance, as well as the availability of energy-minded grants, has enabled many of Maine’s peaks to install new and more efficient equipment in the last few years, he said.
Natural snow, however, can serve as a powerful marketing tool, especially when enticing out-of-state tourists to Maine, he said.
“If it doesn’t seem like winter, people don’t travel,” Gouwens said. “If you’re from Boston, for instance, and it’s green grass in your backyard, you might not think that it’s snowy on the mountains.”
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But not every mountain has the luxury of artificial snow.
Chris Kilcollins, operations manager at the Quoggy Jo Ski Center in Presque Isle, which relies solely on natural snowfall, said his crew was “optimistically pessimistic” about the winter forecast.
“We’re hoping for a really good winter. We’re off to a pretty good start,” Kilcollins said on a phone call Monday evening. “As long as we don’t lose it all in the rainstorm.”
Rain is expected to fall over much of Maine later this week, and forecasters say it could melt away parts of the snowpack.
Workers at Quoggy Jo plan to shovel snow from open areas into larger piles Monday night and Tuesday morning, in hopes of insulating most of it from the rain, Kilcollins said. Once the rain passes, they will spread what they can back onto the slopes.
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Quoggy Jo usually budgets for about 12 weeks of skiing each year, he said. Last season, they barely got half that, leaving a roughly $30,000 deficit operators hope to make up for this season, he said.
“It’s a nightmare, honestly, not having consistent snow,” Gouwens said.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine Democrat Graham Platner has picked up another high-profile endorsement in his bid to flip a key Senate seat blue, marking another sign of the oyster farmer and combat veteran’s political resiliency even as he continues to face controversy throughout his campaign.
Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego announced Monday that he was backing Platner, saying that the first-time candidate “reflects the grit and independence that defines Maine.”
“Graham Platner is the kind of fighter Maine hasn’t seen in a long time, someone who tells you exactly what he thinks, doesn’t owe anything to the special interests, and wakes up every day thinking about working families,” said Gallego, who won a Senate seat in Arizona in 2024 by more than 2 points while Trump carried the state by nearly 6 points.
Platner has previously been endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat.
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However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has endorsed Platner’s main opponent, Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
Both Platner, 41, and Mills, 78, are hoping to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, 73, a five-term incumbent who announced last month that she was running for another term. A victory in Maine is crucial for Democrats’ efforts to take back control of the Senate. The Democratic Party needs to net four seats to retake the Senate majority, and they are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.
READ MORE: Maine’s Graham Platner thinks voters will overlook his past to support a new type of candidate
Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and economic equality message. He’s pressed forward despite controversies over old social media posts and a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he recently had covered up.
Gallego is among the Democrats named as possible 2028 presidential contenders. Last fall, he stumped in New Jersey, Virginia and Florida, where he campaigned for Democrats who went on to win their elections.
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“I have an immense amount of respect for him and I’m looking forward to joining him as a fellow Marine and combat infantryman in the U.S. Senate,” Platner said in a statement.
Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.
On March 2, Spurwink will join community partners for a special viewing of Building Hope: Ending Homelessness in Maine at the University of Southern Maine’s McGoldrick Hall.
Directed by Richard Kane and produced by Melody Lewis-Kane, the film shines a compassionate light on the realities of Maine’s homelessness crisis. Through deeply personal stories, Building Hope explores the challenges faced by unhoused individuals and families, while highlighting the hope that emerges when communities come together to create solutions. It’s been praised for its honesty, dignity, and inspiring message: change is possible when we work together.
Following the screening, a panel of local leaders and advocates will discuss the film and the ongoing effort in Maine to end homelessness. Panelists will include Katherine Rodney, Director of Spurwink’s Living Room Crisis Center; Cullen Ryan, Chief Strategic Officer at 3Rivers; Donna Wampole, Assistant Professor of Social Work at USM; and Preble Street staff. Catherine Ryder, Spurwink’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, will bring her expertise in trauma-informed care and community collaboration to the panel as the moderator.
Keon Johnson had 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Maine Celtics defeated the Windy City Bulls 122-87 in an NBA G League game on Sunday afternoon at the Portland Expo.
Hason Ward scored 16 points and Jalen Bridges 14 for Maine (13-15), which had seven players score in double digits. Bridges drained four 3-pointers for the Celtics, who shot 13 for 28 (46.4%) from beyond the arc.
Max Shulga dished out 11 assists and scored nine points.
Maine led 33-18 after one quarter 72-36 at halftime.
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Keyshawn Bryant scored a game-high 25 points for Windy City (12-12).
