Mount Southington Ski Area Gets Mention During 2022 Winter Olympics

By Brian M. Johnson, The Bristol Press

February 23, 2022

Amid an already strong winter season, Mount Southington Ski Area recently received a mention during NBC’s coverage of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Jay Dougherty, general manager of Mount Southington Ski Area at 396 Mt Vernon Rd. in the Plantsville area of town, said it was “incredible” to be mentioned during the national coverage of the event. Mount Southington Ski Area got a shout-out just prior to the closing ceremony.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Dougherty. “My phone started ringing non-stop as people called me up from across the country. The local newspapers and TV news stations come by all the time, but to be mentioned on a national broadcast during an event where so many people were watching was amazing.”

This season has been a very strong season for Mount Southington Ski area, said Dougherty, and the mountain also received a lot of visitors on Monday for President’s Day.

“President’s Day weekend is one of the busiest weekends of the year for us,” he said. “On some years, it can make or break the whole season. The slopes were packed this year. It was great to see all the smiling faces. There were lots of kids coming out and learning to ski.”

Dougherty said that the pandemic has resulted in more people looking to do outdoor activities and skiing at Mount Southington has seen an uptick over the past two years as a result.

“With everybody cooped up for the past two years, it has been a great escape,” he said. “A lot of parents have been bringing their kids by because skiing was something they did a lot of when they were younger.”

This increase in usage has allowed Mount Southington Ski area to make several improvements over the past years. This year, they completed major upgrades to the Avalanche chair lifts. They will also be building a new ski school building.

Although temperatures have been relatively warm this February, that won’t put a damper on anyone’s skiing plans. Mount Southington Ski Area will remain open into March.

“We’ve got some of the best snow-making machines in the industry, so we can always recover well from rain or bad weather,” said Dougherty. “There are parts of the mountain that are covered in 7 to 8 inches of snow right now.”

After the winter season, Dougherty said that Mount Southington Ski Area continues to see use throughout the year. In the summer, the mountain is used for adult volleyball and summer camps. In the fall, it hosts The Reach Foundation’s Crazy Brew Bash along with the Haunt on Eden.

For more information, visit mountsouthington.com or call 860-628-0954.

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.