SAM Magazine—Winhall, Vt., Feb. 21, 2025—Over Presidents' Day weekend, separate wind-related incidents at three ski areas in the Northeast led to temporary lift closures.Stratton Mountain's upper gondola terminal was damaged by high winds on Sunday.

At Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont, high winds on Sunday, Feb. 18, caused significant damage to the upper terminal of the resort's gondola, tearing off a 40' x 10' section of the roof, breaking several windows, and forcing the closure of the base-to-summit lift. The winds prevented Stratton from operating all day Monday.

Crews worked quickly to repair the structure. After cleaning up the area, parts were transported to the summit via snowcat on Thursday, according to digital marketing manager Andrew Kimiecik, and the gondola reopened on Friday, Feb. 21 at 11:45 a.m.

"We want to give a huge shoutout and thank you to Walker Industries and R. Reed Construction, Mountain Ops, Lift Maintenance, Grooming, and Ski Patrol for their teamwork over the past few days—assessing damages, facilitating deliveries, driving supplies up the mountain, and making this quick turnaround possible," the resort said on its website.

In New Hampshire, Pats Peak Ski Area experienced an incident on Monday, Feb. 19, at approximately 10:45 a.m., when strong winds led to a rope derailment on the Peak Triple Chair, prompting a rope evacuation of more than 120 passengers.

General manager Kris Blomback described the event as a "freak of nature," noting it was the first wind-related derailment in the ski area's 64-year history.

"A lot of chair lifts with the same exposure, altitude, and profile were spinning in the state," Blomback said. "Our weather station had winds sustained from the north, which is not normally a problem. The lift has seen that before and operated without issue."

A nearby weather station reported gusts exceeding 60 mph around the same time, though, which Blomback believed contributed to the incident.

He praised the resort’s response in the aftermath of the incident, saying, "The team was exceptional, and we had the majority [of the lift passengers] off in an hour and the final handful of chairs took a bit longer."

As of Feb. 21, the Peak Triple Chair lift has resumed operations.

Belleayre Mountain in New York also faced challenges due to the severe weather on Monday. On the morning of Feb. 19, strong winds caused a tree to fall onto the Belleayre Express, resulting in damage to the lift that is still being assessed. No one was injured in the incident.

"The lift is currently closed while we assess the situation and determine necessary repairs. The safety of our guests and staff remains our top priority," the resort shared in a statement.

The Belleayre Express remains closed. The resort is collaborating with Doppelmayr to assess the damage and determine the necessary repairs. Currently, there is no estimated timeline for the lift's return to operation.

While these three incidents led to more extended operational disruptions over the holiday period, many ski areas across the Northeast had wind holds on various, often key, lifts throughout the weekend after a storm