SANDY RIVER, Maine — Editor's note: NEWS CENTER Maine apologizes for using a photo that did not show up-to-date snow conditions at Saddleback. The photo taken in December 2023 has been removed.
Saddleback Mountain, Mt. Abram, and Pleasant Mountain have announced they will not open on Thursday due to weather conditions.
Saddleback, located in Sandy River, cited surface thawing-freezing and strong winds as the reason for deciding to keep its doors closed.
Temperatures in the area reached the mid-40s Wednesday and will quickly plummet into single digits throughout the night, the ski resort said in a Facebook post. Temperatures are expected to only climb about 10-12 degrees Thursday morning, meaning the surface thawed out and will quickly freeze again, creating unideal ski conditions.
"Due to the surface thaw-freeze, plus strong westerly wind gusts up to 45 mph tomorrow, we have made the unfortunate decision to close for skiing and riding on Thursday, February 29, 2024," the post said. "The bottom line is this huge temperature shift won't allow us to produce a quality skiing product tomorrow."
Saddleback said those who have already purchased a lift ticket for Thursday will be contacted by their ticket office to issue a replacement day.
Mt. Abram also said the shift in temperature led them to decide to close on Thursday.
"Due to the dramatic temperature shift occurring early tomorrow morning after today's rain, we have made the decision to keep the mountain closed to skiing and riding on Thursday, February 29th," Mt. Abram said on Facebook.
Located in Greenwood, the ski resort said staying closed Thursday will allow it more time to manage conditions and "get the mountain back into shape."
Mt. Abram said its Loose Boots Lounge will remain open at its regular time at 3 p.m., and Community Pizza Night with live music by Steve Moore is still set to begin at 4:30 p.m.
Pleasant Mountain, located in Bridgton, announced its Thursday closure due to "challenging weather conditions."
"With careful consideration and a commitment to providing you the best possible experience on the mountain, we’ve made the decision to close tomorrow, Thursday 2.29 due to the challenging weather conditions this week," Pleasant Mountain said, in part, on Instagram Wednesday.
Saddleback Mountain and Pleasant Mountain say they plan to reopen Friday for regular operations.
