Skiing Conditions Rated Excellent Throughout Area

With the Weather Bureau promising continued light snow for today, skiers who take post-exam period trips will find favorable conditions on New England slopes this week. Most ski resorts report about 5 inches of new powder snow with an average base of at least 20 inches.

In Massachusetts, Lockes Hill in Amesbury reports good skiing with 4 inches of new snow. Boston Hill in North Andover is scheduled to open today if the snowfall continues.

In the western part of the state, Pittsfield has a 4 to 25 inch base with 3 inches of powder, and the Berkshire Snow Basin in West Cummington has 7 to 15 inches of base with 2 inches of powder.

Among the New Hampshire resorts, Mittersill in Franconia, Mt. Sunapee, Pinkham Notch, and Waterville Valley all have excellent skiing, with a 20 to 75 inch base and 5 to 8 inches of new powder. Skiing on Laconia's Belknap Mountain, Franconia's Cannon Mountain, and West Ossipee's Mount Whittier is reported to be "good to excellent."

At Stowe, Mt. Mansfield and Spruce Peak have good to excellent conditions, with 32 to 40 inches of base and 2 of powder, and the rugged nosedive trail has recently been opened.

Other excellent Vermont spots are Smugglers' Notch, Big Bromley, Jay Peak and Mad River Glen. The powder snow accumulation in most places averages about 6 inches.

Okemo Mountain has good to excellent skiing on the upper slopes, the Snow Bowl in Middlebury has similar conditions with 6 inches of powder, as does Mt. Ascutney with a heavy wet surface.

Farther south, Mt. Snow reports up to sixty inches base with a powder surface, skiing generally excellent.