Conditions Report
Report from Wednesday, April 9, 2025
My friend Veronique and I headed down to Jay Peak, Vermont, on a snowy Saturday and ended up meeting some ladies on the mountain who are now friends for life. Norma, who was snowboarding with her fiancé and didn’t join our girl gang that day, messaged me early in the week to ask if I had plans to hit up Jay Peak for the surprise Wednesday powder day that swept across the northeast. Heck, yeah.
What was 12 inches of fluffy white in the Green Mountains fell as freezing rain on the south shore of Montreal. While Norma and crew had driven up the night before from their home in Connecticut and parked their camper vans in the Jet parking lot (this is the way to do it!), I left the city a bit later than anticipated early Wednesday morning, crawling along icy Quebec roads. I was determined, though, and road conditions improved significantly on the Vermont side. Thank Ullr, because the 242 highway coming from the north after a big snowfall is, well, a trip. I pulled into the lot just before 9:30 a.m.
I texted Norma, who was waiting for me on the Tram side. I took the Bonny chair up and made my way over via Upper Goat Run, Green Mountain Boys, and Racer. There was some chatter under my board on Goat Run, expected as I was late-morning arrival, and this is a well-trafficked trail, but the snow softened further down the mountain, and Green Mountain Boys and Racer were glorious. I was stoked to see Norma in her cheery pastels, waiting for me by the Tram.
The line moved quickly, and before long, we were heading up to the summit. Does anyone else out there have an irrational fear of the Tram? Same.) Tram anxiety aside, the conversation flowed, and the ride down was beautiful: packed powder and untouched stashes on the side hits—an unexpected bounty for April. Pura Vida. Norma told me earlier that she’s only been snowboarding for about five years, but you wouldn’t believe it because she is fearless and has skills. From the summit, we made our way back to Stateside. Tram runs were checked off the list, and Stateside is my preferred zone for epic riding, and minimal skier and rider traffic. We took another run, grabbed a coffee, and traded stories. Norma has an infectious, positive energy, and it feels like we’ve been friends for years.
After a few more laps off the Bonny, we headed to the Jet parking lot to meet with Norma’s fiancé Mike and his son Dylan. Our new crew of four headed over to the Jet lift and went down Haines, which was a bit chopped but still super fast and fun. For a long time, riding steeper terrain took me out of my comfort zone. I came to snowboarding via skateboarding, where style and flow are key elements, and I loved it immediately because it also reminded me of dance. I like launching off features because I taught myself to snowboard on vacant properties around my former in-laws’ chalet in Alpine Haven, just a bit further down the road. But I’ve learned to love the rush of riding steep terrain with a little help from my friends. So much snowboarding is a mental game, and when your head is in it, you can do it all. Side note: Mike and Dylan rip. It’s so cool to see families sharing this—especially when the kids are grown and still want to ride with their folks.
The day flew by. We got some good craic off the Tram, Bonny, and Jet chairs. I took two bails near the end of a couple of runs—working on not speed-checking so much, a bad habit I’ve picked up in middle age. Someone wise once told me, “If you’re not falling, you’re not trying.” Or, in the words of the great Jeremy Jones, “Ego is not your amigo.” True that. We capped off the day with a delicious dinner at The Snow Shoe Lodge & Pub in Montgomery Center, followed by a hot tub soak at The Jay Village Inn, where I’d booked a room. Norma, Mike, and Dylan hiked Little Jay the following day—I wanted badly to join them, but I wasn’t geared up for an impromptu hike, and I had to head back to the city. Next season, for sure. (Or maybe… there’s still a window to hike Little Jay in the coming weeks).
Writing a conditions report as the season winds down for most East Coast resorts feels a little surreal. You know that feeling: Was that my last day? It’s a particular kind of blues. You start counting the months until you can ride with your crew again—fast lines, powder stashes, laughter echoing through the trees—that sort of thing you want to experience year-round. I’ve even been daydreaming of a late-spring shred-venture in Iceland, where I understand peak season hits in May.
Jay Peak is holding strong. Its total snow accumulation for the 2024–25 season is so far at a whopping 458 inches. Thanks to the 12 inches that fell Tuesday and another inch of fresh snow as of this writing, they have all nine lifts spinning and are nearly a hundred percent open. Conditions are a packed powder base and spring snow on the surface, with snow forecasted Friday into Saturday morning. Warmer temps arrive in the region by Sunday, but by Tuesday, it dips below zero again, and we’ll see even more snow. Something I’ve heard many times in my years coming down here: “If you don’t like the weather in Vermont, wait a minute.” For more context, in 2023-24, my last run off the Jet chair was May 4.
It ain’t over ‘til it’s over, folks.
See you on the slopes.
Trail Map
NOAA Forecast
Current Snow Conditions
