Vermont
Snow problem or no problem? Resorts concerned as ski season heats up
WARREN, Vt. (WCAX) – Based on the WCAX Climate Crew, Vermont’s winters have warmed a median of about 5-6 levels since 1970. It’s a regarding pattern for one in all Vermont’s keystone industries– snowboarding.
So how are resorts weathering the warming local weather? I obtained a peek backstage on the Sugarbush Resort with a tour by means of their snowmaking hub, the place huge programs guarantee if you wish to ski, they’ve terrain open.
“We push water up from the Mad River to right here and these pumps right here increase the stress and push the water up onto the hill,” stated Shawn Patenaude, the supervisor of snowmaking at Sugarbush. “Our snowmaking season is November by means of January, three months or 91 days primarily.”
It’s a course of rooted in shifting huge quantities of water from the Mad River to Lincoln Peak or Mount Ellen, combining it with compressed air in sub-freezing temperatures. It’s described to me as an artwork, capitalizing on home windows of near-perfect situations, although these home windows are shrinking.
“If we’re taking a look at 90 days and we will solely do it in 60,” Patenaude stated.
The snowmakers say unstable climate patterns of fluctuating temperatures, rain occasions and excessive humidity over the previous couple of many years throw a wrench into ski resort operations.
Based on climate information, we see roughly the identical quantity of snow yearly however it doesn’t stick round.
“Once you get these extra frequent bursts of heat, that’s going to be more durable to maintain the snow on the bottom, to maintain the snowpack thick,” WCAX Meteorologist Jess Langlois defined.
These fluctuating temperatures not solely harm our snow accumulation between storms however maintain again what trade leaders say is a vital operation.
“Snowmaking can be a sustainability software that enables ski resorts to open on time and function by means of the season,” stated Molly Mahar of Ski Vermont.
Mahar says as winters heat, Vermont is already leaning on snowmaking as a crutch to open trails early within the yr and hold them open.
The climate earlier than Christmas was an incredible example– heat temperatures and rain closed about 20% of open terrain statewide on Christmas Eve, however by the flip of the brand new week, many resorts had been in a position to reopen what was misplaced after which some due to freezing temperatures.
“We might not have the terrain open this vacation week that we do with out snowmaking,” Mahar stated.
Again on the coronary heart of the snowmaking operation, the workforce says in smaller home windows of ultimate time, it’s a race in opposition to Mom Nature, taking most benefit of optimum snowmaking time.
“Make snow extra rapidly, push extra water onto the hill, be extra environment friendly about our operation,” Patenaude stated.
However questions have been raised about how far more environment friendly they will get.
“If we’re at some extent of diminishing returns, if the efficiencies we will put into our programs are all realized,” Patenaude stated.
Regardless of the warming winters, unstable climate patterns and maxing out effectivity, they nonetheless think about the snowmaking course of and are decided to profit from the software.
“Finally, we wish as many individuals up there snowboarding as attainable,” Patenaude stated.
Copyright 2022 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Vermont
Vermont Green FC announce more women’s matches, return of Sam Mewis
UVM soccer: NCAA championship parade on Burlington’s Church Street
Fans flocked Church Street to celebrate UVM men’s soccer’s historic national championship with a parade and rally.
Sam Mewis and the Vermont Green Football Club women’s team are returning to Virtue Field this summer.
Following 2024’s successful debut, the former United States national team star will once again coach the Vermont Green women for a pair of exhibition matches, the Burlington soccer club announced Thursday. Last summer, Mewis’ squad defeated FC Laval 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation in front of a sold out crowd at Virtue Field.
The 2024 event was established in hopes of adding a full-time women’s franchise. Adding a second exhibition game for this summer is a positive step in that direction, said Adam Pfeifer, the club’s sporting director.
“(Last summer) was an unforgettable experience for our club, community, and team, but it was just the beginning of our commitment to the women’s game,” Pfeifer said in a news release. “We’re very happy to be doubling our training and match experience for the women’s squad in 2025 as we continue to sustainably build our infrastructure with the goal of a permanent women’s team playing in a league as soon as possible.”
The women’s team will play Flower City 1872 of Rochester, New York, at Virtue Field on Wednesday, June 11 at 7 p.m. Then on Saturday, June 14, they will play AS Blainville of Montreal at 6 p.m.
“Coaching with Vermont Green last summer was one of the highlights of my year. I am so happy to be back with the club this season and I can’t wait to offer my perspective and experience playing professional soccer all over the world,” Mewis said in the same news release. “Vermont Green is made up of an incredibly thoughtful and intentional group of people who are actively growing the soccer scene here in Vermont.
“The fans of this club have blown me away with their support, engagement, and passion. With two games this summer and an entire week of training, we will set our players up for success both with us and beyond, and we’ll set the stage for Vermont Green Women to grow into something even greater.”
The team’s full roster and staff will be announced in June during training camp. To purchase tickets for the exhibition matches, visit tickets.vermontgreenfc.com.
The Vermont FC men’s squad embark on their fourth season in the USL League Two with the Maple Cup vs. FC Laval at Virtue Field on Saturday, May 24.
Taylor promoted to Vermont Green FC head coach
Chris Taylor has been promoted to head coach of the Vermont Green FC men’s squad ahead of the 2025 season, the club announced this week.
Taylor, who has served as assistant coach with Vermont since 2022, is the current head coach of SUNY-Plattsburgh. Taylor replaces three-year head coach Adam Pfeifer, who will continue in his role as sporting director, according to a news release.
“I am deeply honored to be named as the next Head Coach of Vermont Green FC,” Taylor said in a statement. “Joining the club in 2022 was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I am excited for this next step. Following Adam is a big task, but his support and that of the club will make this transition work. I am grateful to Adam for not only bringing me in, but trusting me from day one with numerous responsibilities. I am determined to help the club succeed and give our fans another great summer.”
Peifer caps his tenure as head coach with a 39-11-4 record in all competitions. That includes a second-round appearance in last year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
Vermont
Vt. education officials weigh in on Trump’s trans student-athlete ban
MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont education officials are assessing what President Trump’s executive order banning transgender student-athletes means for local schools and federal funding.
The Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports executive order allows federal agencies to withhold funding to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete in sports. And like other executive orders, it’s pitting federal rules directly against Vermont law.
Gregory Thayer formed the group Vermonters for Vermont to push back on what he sees as problems in public education, including programs promoting diversity and transgender athletes competing in sports. He supports the president’s order, saying that biological males competing in women’s sports is unfair.
“We’ve seen a lot of people unhappy for being disenfranchised in their respective sports and the physicality to some of these women around the country,” Thayer said.
But others say the order erases transgender people from public life. Amanda Rhodenberg with the LGBTQ advocacy group Outright Vermont says trans youth participating in sports can foster self-esteem and a sense of belonging. She describes the new executive order as a slippery slope to broader discrimination.
“Doubling down on those exclusionary practices is creating schools where not all young people have the same rights to participate and exist as they are,” Rhodenberg said.
Vermont law bars schools from discriminating against students based on race, sex, or other identity. The Agency of Education has interpreted that law as meaning transgender students must be allowed to participate in sex-segregated activities like sports in a way that matches their gender identity. Asked whether Vermont will change its policy in the face of the president’s order, the AOE released a statement saying: “The agency will continue to protect all students and their ability to access the full educational experience, including sports participation.”
Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark says she will fight to protect trans athletes’ ability to participate. “I want to reassure them that I have their back and I will put the full force of my office to protect them and take action if necessary,” she said.
It remains to be seen whether the Department of Education will withhold funding from Vermont schools over this issue.
Copyright 2025 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Vermont
The 7 Best Vermont Events This Week: February 12-19, 2025 | Seven Days
Illuminated Manuscripts
Saturday 15
Winterdeep, Treewild’s family-friendly sound, light and art installation at All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne, enhances the outdoors with projections of seasonal poetry. As folks of all ages saunter down the meandering trail, ambient music, illustrations and larger-than-life paper lanterns adorn the landscape — all generated by Vermont artists and musicians.
Funny Girls
Thursday 13-Sunday 16
Richard Curtis’ 2003 rom-com Love Actually begins with a simple plea — open your eyes to love. Homegrown all-female comedy group Stealing From Work leans deeper into that request with Love … Well, Actually at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in Burlington. The offbeat, irreverent sketch show asks viewers to confront the deluge of messy and weird that love brings with it.
Sensory Special
Friday 14
Epicurious valentines revel in Dining in the Dark, Gold Restaurant’s unique culinary experience in Burlington. The multisensory adventure affords foodies the rare opportunity to abandon sight (via low lighting or blackout mask) in pursuit of heightened gastronomic enjoyment. Partial proceeds benefit the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Waiting in the Wings
Friday 14-Sunday 16
Northern Stage’s New Works Now festival in White River Junction and Hanover, N.H., reinforces the org’s mission of developing, nurturing and mounting works by up-and-coming American playwrights. This year’s staged readings include taut drama Intimate Surveillance by Catherine Stewart and farcical madcap comedy Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret by Talene Monahon.
Sowing Seeds
Saturday 15
Vermont educator and “horticulture therapist” Maggie Herskovits launches her first book, An Urban Field Guide to the Plants, Trees and Herbs in Your Path, at the Hive on Pine in Burlington. The guide introduces readers to more than 50 plants found within the confines of concrete jungles — and inspires folks to consider with wonder how life still teems in unexpected places.
Oh, Sappy Days!
Opens Saturday 15
Prepare your taste buds for late winter’s gooey gift, ’cause it’s that time of year again. During the weeklong Magic of Maple event at Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, guests learn about our region’s maple traditions and history, witness sap flowing straight from the source, and delight in sugar on snow demos.
Cold Play
Through February 23
The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center showcases the annual “Artful Ice Shanties” outdoor exhibit at Retreat Farm, a place-based honoring of New England’s ice fishing history, coupled with innovative artistic talent. From dawn to dusk, visitors drop in to admire the expressive structures. February 22 brings a lighthearted awards ceremony for more notably inventive efforts.
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