CHARLEMONT — With cold weather and a fair amount of snowfall, it has been “a good old-fashioned New England winter” at Berkshire East Mountain Resort, in the words of Jon Schaefer.

This year, Berkshire East opened for ski season on Dec. 1, earlier than its usual mid-December start date, and plans to keep the mountain open as long as possible. Schaefer, whose family has owned Berkshire East since 1976, said he was able to keep the mountain open until the second week of April in 2024, and with how the weather has been so far this winter, he is hopeful it can stay open until at least April 1 this year.

“Our ideal winter would be from Thanksgiving through April, and we’ve actually been able to hit that more consistently recently than we ever have,” Schaefer said.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data, Charlemont has received a total of roughly 11 inches of snow since Dec. 1, with more to come. Forecasts for this weekend predict 5 to 8 inches of snow will fall on the region.

Schaefer said the fresh snow is much appreciated because when fresh snow is mixed in with the mountain’s machine-made snow, it improves the overall quality of the snow, and skiers love to “cut through fresh powder.”

“Operationally, it’s perfect,” Schaefer said. “We’ve been consistently busy.”

While meteorologists foresee more snow at least in the immediate future, on Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. Schaefer said the groundhog is not always right with his weather predictions, but when Phil sees his shadow and returns to his burrow, it can boost the spirit of a skier who is hoping for a longer winter.

“I think it can be a psychological boost. If it’s been a lower-quality winter, it gives some hope,” Schaefer said.

Schaefer said what makes a good ski day and good season varies from person to person, but to him, a good day is any day out on the mountain.

“It’s all relative. To someone, it could be a great turn in really bad weather or it could be a lot of bad turns in really good weather,” Schaefer said. “Really it’s about going up and down mountains with good directions, control of speed and enjoying it by yourself or with friends and family.”

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.