Snowed in — unless you’re skiing: Vermont schools close as slopes fill up

Winter storms blanketed Vermont with snow over the weekend and Monday, forcing schools to close, impacting road conditions and driving the masses to ski slopes.

At least 8 inches of snow accumulation was reported across that state, with some locations reporting close to 15 inches over the course of the storm, according to the National Weather Services.

Snow from the storm was lighter and more powdery because of the low moisture content, according to Adrianna Kremer, a meteorologist in the Burlington office of the weather service. Lighter snow poses less of a hazard to trees and power infrastructure, she added.

The weather service forecasted that additional snow storms would add 2 to 4 inches to the standing snow across most of the state by the end of Monday. Kremer did not expect much more snow in the coming week after Monday.

Roads were still being cleared on Monday afternoon, according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation’s plow finder map. Few road closures or delays were reported on New England 511’s road conditions map as of Monday afternoon.

Over the past weekend, school districts throughout the state preemptively announced closures.

“Today was one of the best days for skiing and riding all year,” said Matt McCawley, a spokesperson for Smugglers’ Notch Resort, in an email. “Conditions right now are like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way.”

A person in winter clothing clears deep snow from a car parked in front of a beige building during snowfall.

A snow plow clears snow from a rural road in winter, with trees and utility poles visible along the roadside.

Snow-covered tree branches with a dense layer of snow on the ground and bushes, creating a wintry scene.

A colorful wooden signpost with multiple directional arrows stands in a snowy field with bare trees in the background.

A person in a red jacket and winter hat shovels snow from an alleyway lined with trash bins after a snowfall.

McCawley said local ski pass holders came out in force after a foot of fresh powder covered the resort. Families took advantage of the school closures, he said, to get an extra day of skiing in.

Killington Resort reported similar turnout as the storm dumped 14 inches of snow on the resort’s slopes by Monday morning, with an additional snow accumulation bringing its total to 17 inches by Monday afternoon.

“Killington and Pico are seeing the best conditions of the season,” said Amy Laramie, a spokesperson for Killington Resort.

“Monday, the place was jumping,” McCawley said. “The joyous hoots and hollers coming from the woods over the silence this morning was amazing.”