A first for Sugarloaf: Snowmaking in April

The recent twists and turns of weather in Maine would be difficult to over-exaggerate. From the Gulf of Maine Research Institute predicting a very early start to the 2016 Maine lobster fishing season, to maple trees across the state running sap early, it’s been a wild season. But recent below-average temperatures has Sugarloaf making snow in the month of April, a first in its 65 years in business.

The surprise announcement was first teased on the ski resort’s Facebook page with a post on April Fools’ Day, leading many diehard skiers wondering if it was all just an elaborate prank — but the lighthearted post was no joke.

“It’s not often that you get to do something like make snow in April, so we wanted to have a little fun with it,” Sugarloaf General Manager Karl Strand said in a prepared statement. “Our guests have been loyal throughout what has been a challenging winter, so we want to do everything in our power to make sure the skiing is as good as it can be, even if that means making snow later than ever before.”

The resort says that it plans on continuing snowmaking operations through Tuesday night, when temperatures are forecasted to rise — slightly — above snowmaking range.

But the late-season snowmaking will be more than welcome to the nearly 10,000 skiers and reggae music enthusiasts who take to the slopes for the annual Reggae Fest, which is scheduled for April 14-17.

L.L.Bean sales remain flat, as mild winter slowed demand

Odds drop for an ‘extremely early’ start to Maine lobster season