Jay Peak, VT, Report: A Message to All Who Say The East Coast Ski Season is Complete

Jay Peak Tram — A view of the Face Chutes and ridgeline off the top of Jay Peak from the top of the Bonaventure Quad. | Credit: Liam Abbott

Jay Peak conditions report from Friday, March 28, to Saturday, March 29, 2025

As I sat in my 450 square-foot apartment in Hoboken, NJ, last Monday, I wondered, like many, if my ski season had finally come to an end. Sure, I’ll always have Big Snow down the road, but I wasn’t quite ready to call it quits on my ski season entirely.

When my girlfriend came home from work, she asked if I had seen the forecast for this weekend, which was calling for a high of 78ºF in the tri-state area. 78º? I get that the ski season is over but let’s not get carried away— it was still only March.

The same day, one of my friends back home in Toronto gave me a call in an attempt to sway me to go skiing that same weekend. I know Canada is far north, but it doesn’t make that big of a difference, right? Wrong. It turns out that Mother Nature can throw some truly whacky curve balls on occasion, and I should have known better than to think Jay Peak, Vermont, out of all places, was done feasting on powder for the season.

So to all those sitting at their homes in Boston, New York, or anywhere the temperatures topped 60º+ this weekend, remember that if you know where to look, the ski season is by no means even close to over this year.

Quick Facts & History

Date Opened: 1957
Multi-Destination Pass: Indy Pass
Number of Trails: 81
Skiable Acres: 385
Vertical Drop: 2153′
Base Elevation: 1815′
Summit Elevation: 3968′
Average Annual Snowfall: 359″ (most on the East Coast)
Terrain Breakdown:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 40%
Number of Lifts: 9
Night Skiing: no
Other Activities:
- indoor water park (one of the largest in North America at the time of construction)
- cross-country skiing
- snowshoeing
- ski biking
- rock climbing gym
- hockey rink
- spa
- movie theatre
- mini golf
- arcade
- golf course

Jay Peak has had a banner year. At one point a couple of weeks ago, they had seen the 4th most snowfall out of any ski resort on the continent. While spring may hit the East Coast sooner than the West, Jay Peak has still brought in over 430” of snow this season, which is impressive until you remember that Jay Peak averages 359”.

The anomaly that is Jay Peak and the “Jay Cloud” can not be overstated. While I initially thought that Jay Peak having 80/81 trails open heading into April was primarily due to its latitude, some research on nearby ski resorts such as Burke, Mont Sutton, Mont Orford, and Owl’s Head proved otherwise, with all of these ski resorts with 45 minutes of Jay Peak hanging on with only half of their trails open.

Town of Jay — The town of Jay a mere 15 minutes from the resort saw barely any snow on the ground. | Credit: Liam Abbott

The drive to Jay Peak at this time of year is a real nail-biter. You drive and drive and drive, with still no snow in sight. You get 15 minutes from Jay Peak and there is some snow on the ground, but not nearly enough to have most glades open, never mind the Face Chutes off the top. Yet then, all of a sudden, as you drive through the town of Jay and start to ascend the mountain, the snowbanks on the side of the road grow and grow and grow.

Jay Peak Road — You drive 5 minutes from the town of Jay, and all of a sudden, you are in winter. | Credit: Liam Abbott

To have the conditions at Jay Peak that I experienced on March 29 any time of year is considered lucky by East Coast standards. But to be having my best ski day on the East Coast as one of my last days of the season is straight-up odd.

While forecasters were predicting up to a foot of snow for the weekend, a couple of inches were the only accumulation to end up on the mountain. While that may have been disappointing to the at-capacity resort when I visited (which is something I have never experienced in the 10+ years I’ve skied at Jay Peak), it is important to not lose sight of what point we are at in the ski season.

This can best be summarized with a line I overheard when waiting in line for a lift ticket:

“I had to get a ride up with a buddy today because I already put on my summer tires.”

It wasn’t just me who had already written off their ski season.

Coverage was peak-winter. While a recent freeze-thaw cycle dramatically reduced Jay Peak’s hefty base, a solid layer of ice was topped with two feet of snow the resort had accumulated in the past week, making all of the mountain’s terrain still very much enjoyable. From glades such as Beaver Pond to mogul runs, including UN and soft groomers like Northway, everything was still in play at Jay Peak this weekend.

Jay Peak UN — Burning our legs descending UN off the Jet Triple. | Credit: Liam Abbott

On Saturday, lines for both the tram and Stateside deterred me to stick on the main mountain, but even with only lapping Bonaventure and Flyer chairlifts there was so much good terrain to explore. The powder got tracked out early on marked trails, but if you were willing to dig deep into the trees there were great stashes to be found.

Jay Peak North Glades — Deep in the North Glades, good powder stashes remained late into the day. | Credit: Liam Abbott

There is a reason Jay Peak is a favorite to win the SnowBrains March Madness Ski Resort contest. There is a reason that Jay Peak is the most redeemed ski resort on the Indy Pass. There is a reason people know about Jay Peak, even if they don’t live on the East Coast. And there is a reason I continue to come back to this mountain and hold it above several West Coast ski resorts I have skied in my lifetime.

The snow, the culture, the terrain. It is nearly impossible to beat.

I hope to see you in May, Jay.