Whiteface Conditions

[Brownski]

I'm well aware of the university games obligations. I thought they had gotten most of that terrain done before the warm-up, but I guess I was mistaken. Still, as of this weekend, they will the same amount of terrain open that they did 2 weeks prior.

Plattekill is 100% open this week. Come on down for an adventure and visit your parents afterward

 

[chumpomatic]

I'm well aware of the university games obligations. I thought they had gotten most of that terrain done before the warm-up, but I guess I was mistaken. Still, as of this weekend, they will the same amount of terrain open that they did 2 weeks prior.

wow, you're kind of harshing my buzz, dude. It's only Tuesday so we don't know exactly what will be open this weekend but even if it was just what's open today, I'm pretty happy with what they have managed. I don't recall all of the black terrain being open two weeks ago until after after the storm (some on Saturday and some on Sunday) so there has been some expansion AND there was a serious rain event last week . There are also limits on how much water they can use in a season for snow making so they may be gaming the weather a bit too.

 

[snoloco]

To my knowledge there is no limit on how much water they can use in a particular season. They can draw up to 6000 gpm from the river depending on flow.

 

[chumpomatic]

To my knowledge there is no limit on how much water they can use in a particular season. They can draw up to 6000 gpm from the river depending on flow.

That may be. I confess I don't really know much about this. I did find this bit:

TRACKING OUR WATER WITHDRAWAL To sustain and protect aquatic habitats, Gore, Whiteface, and Belleayre each have a specific, permitted amount of water withdrawal for snowmaking operations. In cooperation with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), ORDA carefully tracks its withdrawals throughout the year to ensure they are compliant with permitted levels. Potable water wells are also permitted under the water withdrawal program, which ORDA tracks while working with the DOH.


from here: https://orda.org/wp-content/uploads...utive_Committee_Public-Packet.6.14.22_ADA.pdf

but it's pretty vague and as you say, it may just be a max rate they are allowed to draw from the river depending on river flow. I'm sure someone on this forum knows the real deal though.

 

[chumpomatic]

Another very nice morning at WF. First couple hours of the day were great on Mountain Run, Upper Parkway, Lower Wilderness, and Lower Mack. It did get skied off by late morning and today was as crowded as I've seen it this year. As far as I could tell nothing new was open but I did poach Lower Skyward which was lovely. Unfortunately the weather is about to take a turn for the worse and then the FISU games will be here. One last morning tomorrow before it's time to leave town for a couple of weeks....

 

[D.B. Cooper]

TRACKING OUR WATER WITHDRAWAL To sustain and protect aquatic habitats, Gore, Whiteface, and Belleayre each have a specific, permitted amount of water withdrawal for snowmaking operations.

For WF anyway, it's based on flow, not a cumulative amount per season.

it may just be a max rate they are allowed to draw from the river depending on river flow.

I've read it before. It may/probably is in the UMP. There are three thresholds. If the water flowing over the dam is between x and y, they can draw z amount. Over the highest threshold they can draw as much as they want (with their max capacity being 6000 gallons/min.). Measurements are taken 4x or 6x/hour.....something like that.

 

[chumpomatic]

For WF anyway, it's based on flow, not a cumulative amount per season.

I've read it before. It may/probably is in the UMP. There are three thresholds. If the water flowing over the dam is between x and y, they can draw z amount. Over the highest threshold they can draw as much as they want (with their max capacity being 6000 gallons/min.). Measurements are taken 4x or 6x/hour.....something like that.

After looking a bit more online myself I do see that I misunderstood the mechanism for limiting water use. Thanks for confirming and my apologies for getting this wrong! Of course there are still implicit constraints on snowmaking related to operating budget. I don't begin to know what goes on when making those strategic and tactical decisions but I'm sure it's well studied and something every resort, especially in the east, has to deal with.

 

[tirolski]

Somebody wrote something in September about water here.
"The water withdrawal permit would be the first at the site, opened as an Olympic venue in the 1930s, and run by the Olympic Regional Development Authority. ORDA intends to begin operating in compliance with a 2012 law requiring a permit for drawing water exceeding 100,000 gallons per day."

Van Ho looks to make more snow

The state Olympic authority seeks a permit to withdraw surface water to support expanded snowmaking capacity at Van Hoevenberg.

www.adirondackexplorer.org

 

[D.B. Cooper]

After loading every other LWF chair yesterday, they were loading 2 out of every 3 chairs today. Summit was closed by about 10:30 due to "mechanical issues." Friends and I were on Summit for at least 15 minutes. We thought we would be e-vacked. They should have had the Benny Hill theme playing (Yackety Sax).

Needless to say, the line ups were significant.

 

[snoloco]

The more that things change, the more they stay the same. Could you at least ride Freeway or is that a private lift for NYSEF now?