New England blizzard: One for the record books?

At Mount Snow in Vermont, spokesman Dave Meeker said the true value of the storm will be driving traffic from southern New England northward.

"It's great when we get snow, but it's a tremendous help when down-country gets snow," he said. "When they have snow in their backyards, they're inspired."

Assuming the snow clears out by the weekend with no major problems, ski areas in Massachusetts also were excited by the prospect of the first major snowstorm they've seen since October 2011.

"We'll be here with bells on," said Christopher Kitchin, inside operations manager at Nashoba Valley Ski Area in Westford, Mass. "People are getting excited. They want to get out in the snow and go snow-tubing, skiing and snowboarding."

Tom Meyers, marketing director for Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton, Mass., said that at an annual conference of the National Ski Areas Association in Vermont this week, many participants were "buzzing" about the storm. He said the snow will arrive at an especially opportune time — a week before many schools in Massachusetts have February vacation.

"It is perfect timing because it will just remind everybody that it is winter, it's real, and get out and enjoy it," Meyers said.

The snowmobile season in northern New England started off strong, but after rain and warm weather last month, many trails in Maine turned essentially to thick sheets of ice, said Bob Meyers, Maine Snowmobile Association executive director.

"People got a taste of it," he said, "and there's no question they want some more."

___

Ramer reported from Concord, N.H. Contributing to this report were AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington and Associated Press writers Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vt., and Clarke Canfield in Portland, Maine.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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