SAM Magazine-Burlington, Vt., Feb. 27, 2008-Snowfall totals in Vermont and Colorado continued on a record-setting pace in February, as a seemingly unending series of storms has hit many resort regions across the country. This month's storms have already shattered a 50-year-old record in Vermont. In Colorado, several resorts have set new year-to-date snowfall records.

Vermont's winter accumulation is already in the top 10 all-time snowiest ski and ride seasons on record. In Burlington, February's accumulation hit 34.9 inches at 12:00 a.m. this morning, retiring the 34.3 inch 1958 record. Burlington was up to 37 inches at 9:00 a.m., with more en route. And the snowfall is predicted to continue into the weekend, bringing March in like a lion.

Not to be outdone, Colorado Ski Country USA counts this as the 60th powder day of the season, defined as at least one of the association's 26-member resorts receiving 5 or more inches of new snow. In the southwest portion of the state, Wolf Creek Ski Area has received nearly 41 feet of snow this season, and neighboring Silverton Mountain is reporting 37.5 feet. Monarch Mountain has recorded more than 33 feet of snow, including more than 100 inches for three months straight. More than 25 feet has fallen at both Telluride and Aspen/Snowmass, breaking both resorts' snowfall records for this time of year, and surpassing their annual average.

 

Nor is the bounty limited to Vermont and Colorado. Seasonal snowfall at Alta has already topped 500 inches, only the fourth time in 28 years that total has been met before the end of February. This marked the third-earliest date for reaching the milestone, and the earliest since 1993.