We just got 3 inches on Saturday and we have the possibility of another 4 on Wednesday. It's flurrying right now, but it won't amount to much. We just got that early in the season heavy wet snow, it's perfect for snowballs and the trees are still all white because this snow sticks to the branches (until too much gets on them and they snap off and go through your windshield). I work at a ski area, so we're making snow, as long as it's below 35F and not too windy we take high pressure water and compressed air and shoot both out through a special nozzle on a 20 foot tower, (or we have big industrial fans with water nozzles in front of them for the same effect, each method has it's ups and downs) that makes a fine mist which freezes in the air and falls as snow. We just started doing this and will do it (mainly at night) any time the temperature's right (next week's not supposed to get above freezing at all which is perfect, 28F with no wind is ideal). In 2 weeks time, we'll have the entire hill covered in 5 feet of snow whether it snows naturally or not.
Within a week, I'll be back to my favorite job in the world, running ski lifts. I mainly spend my time at the chairlifts, it's the perfect job for the aspie who doesn't mind standing outside in the cold for long hours (when you dress right, with enough layers, it's not bad at all). When it's busy, it's the most repetitive job in the world, every 15 seconds a chair swings around the bullwheel, 3 people ski out to a red line in the snow, the chair swings out around behind them, I grab the chair and position it so they can sit down safely with the chair in motion. As soon as those people sit down, 3 more come up to the line, I take a quick look to make sure they have all their safety equipment as well as their pass, then 15 seconds later they sit down and the next group comes out. It's like that all day long, you have to be constantly looking around you and at people to make sure they're in a safe area and that they're properly equiped, so there's no expectation of eye contact, and you have barely enough time to say hello (but most lift operators rarely talk while working). Within arm's reach of where I'm standing are all the controls, so if something happens, there's a big red button there that will stop everything.
When it's not busy, I'm sitting in the (heated) operator shack, or when it is busy, there's a second person there that can take over if I get cold so I can go in and warm up and smoke a butt. it's a 9 hour shift on the mountain, 6 hours at the bottom of the lift taking turns operating the lift and grooming the snow on the entrance ramp. the other 2.5 hours (half an hour for lunch) are at the top in a 4x6 foot shack with a space heater and a radio. I just sit there in the little shack watching each person get off. If someone has a problem, I have the controls to slow or stop the lift so they can get off safely. If someone falls, I stop the lift, they get up and out of the way and I start it back up. If someone falls and has a problem, we have Ski Patrollers (certified EMTs on skis) that can come over and help the person out of the way, and I just hit a button and the lift starts back up. The rest of the time, I'm just sitting there in the shack listening to music, eating snacks, smoking cigarettes and relaxing. In a shack that small, the space heater will turn it into a sauna if I turn it up all the way, and the seats are old truck seats salvaged from retired company vehicles.
It's not the perfect job if you're afraid of heights since it does require sitting in a chair that's hanging from a cable 30 feet above the ground for the 5 minutes it takes to get to the top, but I love it, it's like working on a giant Rube Goldberg machine. Any time I have to get up or down the mountain, I just ride the chair (the public can only ride up). It's great since if I need the bathroom (#2 since the woods are right there for #1) or anything, I call the bottom of the lift and ask if they can send up the 3rd guy, he'll ride up and man the top while I'll walk over to the lift closest to the lodge and ride down that one, as soon as I get off, I walk 300 feet and there's the base lodge with it's bathrooms and snack bar (and bar which is handy after work).
