We made our first trip to the Lake Placid/Whiteface mid January. First time skiers (Floridians), took a few hours of private lessons and tried to make it down Mixing Bowl without falling (my wife and kids could do it but my a** ended up black & blue). OK, now we're hooked. Way more fun than the beach

Man, is it friggin beautiful up there- I'm trying to plan a return trip already. I'm respectfully seeking some advice to help w/ our planning:
What's the earliest date you can plan to expect cold enough weather/snow to make the trip?
When we arrived, it was unusually warm (50's) in the am then it dropped like a rock till it was like a sheet of ice in the afternoon. I'm guessing it's gotta be easier ( for beginners) to ski on powder than iced over/packed slush. If you were a beginning skier planning a trip, when would YOU choose to come? Believe me, I know the weather is unpredictable (like I said, it went from 50 deg. to -7 while we were there) but I gotta plan something and roll the dice.

Getting there: I guess one of the best/worst things is its remoteness. Had to fly from Tampa to Newark, then Newark to Albany, then a 2 hour drive. Is it any faster to fly into Burlington?


Appreciate any advice provided.

Flying into Burlington would be much cheaper i suspect... if you flew jet blue the whole way. As far as closer, burlington is not. You would have to drive to the ferry from the airport (40 min), then ride the ferry over (another 40), and then you would have to drive to whiteface from there (another hour+).
Try planning for mid to late January, February, or the first part of march. We usually have good snow and conditions by the end of january. February was great this season, but a lot of time we get that mid-winter thaw in feb. March is usually great with heavy snows, sunny afternoons, and decent snow conditions.
Its great to hear that your family has taken so well to the sport! And yeah, it is much more fun than a day at the beach!

tobnpr wrote:

We made our first trip to the Lake Placid/Whiteface mid January. First time skiers (Floridians), took a few hours of private lessons and tried to make it down Mixing Bowl without falling (my wife and kids could do it but my a** ended up black & blue). OK, now we're hooked. Way more fun than the beach Man, is it friggin beautiful up there- I'm trying to plan a return trip already. I'm respectfully seeking some advice to help w/ our planning: What's the earliest date you can plan to expect cold enough weather/snow to make the trip? When we arrived, it was unusually warm (50's) in the am then it dropped like a rock till it was like a sheet of ice in the afternoon. I'm guessing it's gotta be easier ( for beginners) to ski on powder than iced over/packed slush. If you were a beginning skier planning a trip, when would YOU choose to come? Believe me, I know the weather is unpredictable (like I said, it went from 50 deg. to -7 while we were there) but I gotta plan something and roll the dice. Getting there: I guess one of the best/worst things is its remoteness. Had to fly from Tampa to Newark, then Newark to Albany, then a 2 hour drive. Is it any faster to fly into Burlington? Appreciate any advice provided.

Keep an eye out for plattsburgh airport--its in the works. they are supposed to start taking limited flights before they fully open. dont know where they are in plannign stages, so may not be a factor for your next trip, but definitely in the future. winter up here are very unpredictable. this past season was not the norm at all. january is usually the coldest. if you want a definite, come in march--great spring snow conditions and perfect temps. the week before st pats has been the best as far as weather the past few years in a row.

tobnpr wrote:

Getting there: I guess one of the best/worst things is its remoteness. Had to fly from Tampa to Newark, then Newark to Albany, then a 2 hour drive. Is it any faster to fly into Burlington?

Southwest and I believe US Air have direct flights from Tampa to Albany, then it's a straight shot up the Northwat to exit 30 and about a half hour in from there. That's as easy as it can get for you.

Tsavolion wrote:

tobnpr wrote: We made our first trip to the Lake Placid/Whiteface mid January. First time skiers (Floridians), took a few hours of private lessons and tried to make it down Mixing Bowl without falling (my wife and kids could do it but my a** ended up black & blue). OK, now we're hooked. Way more fun than the beach Man, is it friggin beautiful up there- I'm trying to plan a return trip already. I'm respectfully seeking some advice to help w/ our planning: What's the earliest date you can plan to expect cold enough weather/snow to make the trip? When we arrived, it was unusually warm (50's) in the am then it dropped like a rock till it was like a sheet of ice in the afternoon. I'm guessing it's gotta be easier ( for beginners) to ski on powder than iced over/packed slush. If you were a beginning skier planning a trip, when would YOU choose to come? Believe me, I know the weather is unpredictable (like I said, it went from 50 deg. to -7 while we were there) but I gotta plan something and roll the dice. Getting there: I guess one of the best/worst things is its remoteness. Had to fly from Tampa to Newark, then Newark to Albany, then a 2 hour drive. Is it any faster to fly into Burlington? Appreciate any advice provided. Keep an eye out for plattsburgh airport--its in the works. they are supposed to start taking limited flights before they fully open. dont know where they are in plannign stages, so may not be a factor for your next trip, but definitely in the future. winter up here are very unpredictable. this past season was not the norm at all. january is usually the coldest. if you want a definite, come in march--great spring snow conditions and perfect temps. the week before st pats has been the best as far as weather the past few years in a row.

I ASKED AROUND AT WORK TODAY AND THE PLATTSBURGH AIRPORT MAY BE A VIABLE CHOICE NEXT SEASON... THEY ARE GOING TO NEED A CARRIER BEFORE RATES ARE AFFORDABLE... BUT KEEP AN EYE OUT! WHITEY IS ONLY 40 MIN FRM PLATTSBURGH!

Thanks for the replys.

I find myself looking at the webcam shots of the mountain at least a few times a week
Can't wait to get back.