Advice on ice climbing in the catskills

Hello I’m looking to see what the deal is with ice climbing in the Catskills? How is the ice right now? What are the best times to go? What are some good top rope areas to bring a beginner along? Looking to plan a trip for this weekend or the next! 

This has been one of the worst "seasons" we have ever seen in the Catskills. There have been very brief bouts of cold weather, then very warm temperatures and rain. I'd certainly recommend skipping this weekend. With warm temperatures on Friday and then really warm temperatures on Saturday, conditions will be dangerous. It does look like the following weekend could be decent.

Your best bet for beginner TRing is Stony Clove. The Asbestos Wall is popular for beginner TRing as well, albeit a bit underwhelming. The Devil's Kitchen offers excellent TRing, although not as beginner-friendly.

Asbestos and The playground/Sun Wall (these are the usual TR spots in Stony Clove) get too much sun. That's not always a problem, but this year it's been real trouble. A better bet is the lower dark side in Platte Clove.