Snowfall surpasses average in parts of Maine, Vermont

The snow gods have been good to some areas of northern New England this season, with total snowfall so far surpassing normal by several feet in some spots as ski areas and winter sports enthusiasts head into the President's Day holiday.

Caribou, Maine, had received a total 128 inches of snow by late in the week, which is 57 inches above normal while Portland, Maine, was 7 inches above average with a season total of 47 inches.

More than 81 inches has fallen so far in South Burlington, Vermont, which is more than 2 feet above the average. That makes it the sixth snowiest season on record for this time of year.

Early snow in November gave the season a robust start.

"We had a pretty active October and November. November started out really active and that's where we picked up the bulk of our snowfall, actually," said forecaster Robert Deal in South Burlington, which got hit with 19 inches of snow in November.

After several mid-season thaws, another snow storm blasted the region this week, dumping anywhere from 6 to 15 inches in parts of northern Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.

"Mother Nature has really delivered for us ahead of Presidents' Week," wrote Molly Mahar, president of Ski Vermont, in a statement after the storm.

Conditions on snowmobile trails are excellent, said Bob Meyers, executive director of the Maine Snowmobile Association.

"This will make three good seasons in a row," he said, adding that registrations are up by 11 percent.