Powder to Bare Ground: Ski Resort Conditions Ratings Explained
A comprehensive breakdown of every ski resort surface condition rating you'll ever see, including Powder, Packed Powder, Machine Groomed, Hard Pack, Variable, Artificial, and Spring Conditions.
Mountain Review: Peek’n Peak
This Western New York ski resort offers a good value for beginners, but the mountain lacks the challenge or aesthetic to compete with many other East Coast resorts.
Mountain Review: Holiday Valley
Strong natural snowfall and varied terrain make this Western New York resort a strong local option, but a short vertical drop and complicated layout prevent it from competing with bigger East Coast destinations.
Mountain Review: Waterville Valley
Despite a modest footprint size, this New Hampshire resort offers a compelling set of strengths for those driving up from Boston.
Mountain Review: Attitash
This New Hampshire resort offers pleasant terrain and fast lifts, but it doesn’t especially stand out when it comes to the overall experience.
Mountain Review: Plattekill
The Catskill region’s northernmost ski hill offers surprisingly strong advanced terrain, but infrastructure and grooming operations are severely lacking.
Mountain Review: Wildcat
One of the tallest, most stunning ski resorts in New Hampshire is held back by a modest footprint size and significant wind exposure.
Mountain Review: Belleayre
This Catskill mountain offers family-friendly terrain and reasonable crowds for the region, but a few factors make it a tough sell for those planning a weekend getaway.
Mountain Review: Bretton Woods
This Mount Washington-adjacent ski area offers the most upscale ski resort experience in New Hampshire, but its lack of advanced and expert terrain is a serious drawback.
The East Coast Had a Historically Turbulent Ski Season. What Happened?
The East Coast’s 2023-24 ski season can best be described as a roller coaster, with both some of the best—and worst—days in the region’s nine-decade history.