The powerful storm that hobbled New York and Boston after the New Year’s holiday released a lot of pent-up wintertime energy at Dartmouth as folks turned out Friday to enjoy the abundance of powdery snow.
“It’s the best it has been in many years, definitely a winter wonderland,” says Michael Silverman, outdoor operations assistant at the Dartmouth Outing Club House on Occom Pond. The DOC rental operation was flat out busy from the time it opened.
“People are sledding, snow-shoeing, and cross-country skiing everywhere,” Silverman says.
Snowfall from Thursday into Friday morning totaled 6 to 8 inches, relatively less than the 20-plus inches that fell in the Boston area, but the storm brought the same bitter cold temperatures.
Dartmouth Facilities and Operations Management crews plowed, sanded, and shoveled until 7 p.m. Thursday and started up again at 4 a.m. Friday, when the temperature was 2 below zero, says Greg Frost, labor crew supervisor. The light, powdery snow was relatively easy to work with, he says, and his team of plow drivers and hand shovelers, along with grounds crews, had the streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and building entries of Dartmouth all cleared by 8:30 a.m.
About 12 to 14 inches of fresh powder fell on the top of the Dartmouth Skiway, says Manager Doug Holler, and he expects huge crowds over the weekend when temperatures are expected to warm up into the 30s.
He’s got some advice for all the skiers who haven’t made it out onto the slopes yet.
“It’s a great weekend to get your butts up here,” he says.
