A winter storm disrupted Mad River Mountain’s sold-out Midnight Madness event on Saturday Feb. 8, bringing freezing rain, thunderstorms, and icy conditions. The weather led to multiple injuries and temporary lift closures, which cut short what was supposed to be a night of discounted skiing and snowboarding popular amongst ONU students.
Midnight Madness is one of Mad River Mountain’s most anticipated events that offers extended ski hours and discounted lift tickets at $29 with $10 rental packages. The special event, running from 5 p.m. to midnight, sells out well in advance. This season’s January 11 and February 8 events were no exception. ONU students attended Saturday’s Midnight Madness, including members of the ONU Ski Club (ONSC), which frequently organizes trips to Mad River.
Some skiers also went in the morning to take advantage of the extended operating hours included with a day lift ticket. The morning started on a promising note with sunny skies and temperatures around 36 degrees. “The experience on the mountain started off great with your typical Ohio ski weather – sunny with a decent base [of snow],” said Reese Weissenfluh, a sixth-year ONU pharmacy student, who had skied at Mad River two weeks before.
However, conditions in the afternoon quickly deteriorated as a winter storm swept in, bringing rain, thunder, and lightning. By mid-day, the ski lifts were shut down for two to three hours due to safety concerns of lightning. This left attendees biding time in the lodge while freezing rain coated the slopes in ice.
ONU alumni Maggie Biltz and Andrew Teigeler wait in the lodge for hours, waiting for the lightning to pass and the lifts to reopen. (Northern Review Photo/Arin Wade)
Freezing rain created a thick layer of ice on the slopes. Once the storm passed and operations resumed, many guests had decided to leave early rather than risk the hazardous conditions. Despite the difficult weather, some morning and afternoon riders braved the ice-covered slopes.
“After the winter thunderstorms came through, the mountain turned icy and relentless. It was tough to get any level of fun out of the frozen slopes and bone-chilling lift seats once the rain’s constant mist had you soaked,” Weissenfluh reported.
Although weather reports had warned of the afternoon winter storm, many evening skiers, including ONU students, who had already bought evening tickets for the special event still made the trip, hoping it wouldn’t pose too much of a challenge. Ryan Davenport, a sixth-year ONU pharmacy student, and his fiancée were among them.
“We heard that there was bad weather earlier this morning from another ONU student,” Davenport said. “We went anyway. It was my fiancée’s first time skiing. The ice was terrible. She fell and hit her head, and my other friend busted his knee. It was nearly un-skiable.”
Despite the unpredictability of the Ohio weather and unfavorable conditions of the Feb. 11 event, ONU Ski Club is moving forward with its next trip, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 22. The club encourages skiers and snowboarders to sign up early via Northern Network, ONU’s platform for student involvement:
“ONSC will be hosting a day trip to Mad River on Saturday, Feb. 22. Mad River is the largest ski resort in Ohio and is only 45 minutes from ONU. Tickets during Midnight Madness are HEAVILY discounted ($29 for lift tickets and $10 for ski/board rentals)! These tickets run out fast (~2 weeks in advance), so purchase them ASAP! We offer transportation to and from the slopes and will leave from the Freed parking lot at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 22. We recommend traveling with us (it’s fun). We will be cooking out (hot dogs, chips, etc.) at 6:30 p.m. in the Mad River parking lot (it’s free). Whether or not you’re hitching a ride along with us, please RSVP by Thursday, Feb. 20 by filling out this FORM. Seats are limited, so RSVP soon!”
With fluctuating temperatures expected in the coming weeks, skiers and snowboarders can expect changing snow conditions and check the forecast before hitting the slopes. Despite the setbacks, Midnight Madness remains a tradition for Ohio skiers, drawing ONU students for a night on the mountain.