Story by Mike Doble – [email protected]
Has anyone else noticed that when I’m doing the updating that it snows!?!?! I’m hoping there’s nothing really to that, because Kenny’s doing a great job with the weekday reporting. Before I get into the SNOW NEWS and a glance around the region, I want to post this personal invitation to attend our 5th Annual Snowshoe / SkiSoutheast Summit on March 2,3,4th.
Click HERE or on the Graphic to the right to see MORE and JOIN US!>>>
The new management team has gone all out to make us welcome this season with an economy busting 25% OFF any lodging you reserve with Snowshoe. You’ll also get a FREE SUNDAY LIFT PASS and we’ve come up with an AWESOME new – Special Snowshoe Summit Tee Shirt that we are giving away to the first 100 who make reservations AND post their names on the messageboard list. Plans came together late for this year’s event and right now we’re starting out at around 20 or so attendees.
Let’s make this year’s event huge and special. We’ll do a FREE PARTY again Saturday evening and Joe Stevens will be with us this season. This is a great opportunity to meet Snowshoe’s new peeps and revisit with old friends like Ed Galford and of course all of our messageboard personalities.
Check out the plans so far at: https://www.skisoutheast.com/2012_SkiSoutheast_Snowshoe_Summit.htm and make plans to join us!
<Here’s a first look of the new tee shirt design. It will be LONG SLEEVED, and only those attending the summit will get them! The SkiSoutheast.com wording will be on the front left pocket area and the design done by Adam Goudelock will be on the back, representing Snowshoe and SkiSoutheast.com!
Snowshoe has had very nice conditions all season long and they are boasting 57 of 60 Trails open right now as well as a HUGE SNOW EVENT coming on Sunday!
NOW TO THE SNOW NEWS…
We’re searching every source we have available to us because on the surface this snow event LOOKS like it could be one of – if not the best – snows of the season for a lot of our ski area coverage.
Wisp Resort – Looking at a 30% chance of snow Sunday and sunday night. Not a huge event here it seems as the NWS is only talking an inch or two. I have to believe that if Snowshoe picks up a foot then the Garrett County resort will see 4-6" or more.
Snowshoe Mountain and the WV Resorts – On Friday I was hearing that these guys could see a foot or more of snow. Right now the models seem to be talking of something more in the 6-8" range. However it wouldn’t surprise me to see Snowshoe, Canaan and Timberline with something approaching a foot of snow by Monday AM.
Winterplace Resort – The NWS is ACTUALLY forecasting 5-9" of snow for the southern West Virginia ski resort.
This could be a case of different departments of the NWS reporting stations providing somewhat conflicting data. If Winterplace gets this much then look out further north…and that INCLUDES Wisp!
As I’m researching down around The Homestead and the Virginia mountains it looks like they should get 3-5" of snow! 1-3" are forecasted around Bryce Resort; 2-4" around Massanutten Resort – which has been snow-starved this season; and 3-6" are forecasted for Wintergreen Resort – which could use the publicity (and snow);-)
The North Carolina Mountains look to be in for a bit more snow than what was forecasted for us just yesterday. Perhaps the European model (she’s a cutie) is coming closer to being the way this system is coming in. The NWS is forecasting 4-7" of snow for Banner Elk and that usually means a little more for Beech and Sugar. Additional accumulation should fall Sunday night until around midnight so the High Country could see 6-8" of snowfall by Monday AM.
Dr. Ray is forecasting 3-6" for us and 6-8" further north.
1-3" of snow is expected for Blowing Rock and Appalachian Ski Mountain which has only seen 13" of snow all season.
Cataloochee Ski Area is right on the edge of getting just a bit of rain instead of snow. The NWS isn’t forecasting any accummulation for them, although others are saying that Cat could see 1-3" of snow. We’ll hope for that or more!
Wolf Ridge Resort is about the same as the forecast for Cat. Wolf should see some wet mix of sleet, rain, freezing rain and hopefully a little snow thrown in. We’ll hope for a slightly colder forecast and maybe that will be an all snow event.
Ober Gatlinburg and the entire Smoky Mountains this season have been snow AND COLD deprived and it looks like this snow event will be an underdeveloped one for them as only RAIN is forecasted. It looks to be borderline temps late Sunday night that COULD produce some wet snow for them. THAT would be great!
So from what we’re seeing anywhere from 3-4" should be expected across most of the Southern Appalachian Mountains with locally higher snow amounts – from 6-8" and possible a foot of snow into the higher elevations particularly around Snowshoe and the WV resorts.
Can anyone say – powder.
This sounds like a great snowman making snowfall with plenty of moisture so get out and make us some photos and send them to me!
Here are some notables!
Wintergreen is the only resort made snow last night in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Timberline and Snowshoe also made snow overnight.
Appalachian Ski Mountain – 38° – 100% Open with all three terrain parks as well.
Beech Mountain Resort – 34° – 11 of 15 Trails Open. They are reporting wet granular conditions but we’re seeing nicely groomed conditions.
Cataloochee Ski Area – 37° – 100% Open with tubing as well.
Sapphire Valley Ski – 37.8° – 100% Open and hosting their annual Outhouse Races.
Sugar Mountain Resort – 35.2° – 17 of 20 Trails Open as well as ice skating and snow tubing.
Wolf Ridge Resort – 33° – Only 10 of 22 Trails Open but they do have tubing open as well. Several people have asked why it is that Wolf has never gotten more than one-half of the mountain open this winter. Our guess is that it’s something to do with the financials. That was the case a couple of seasons ago and then they seemed to get things worked out.
Some have said it’s the weather and that certainly could be a reason, but Cataloochee is 100% open…
Bryce Resort – 27° – There must be a bit of an anamoly temp-wise there because at 27° they could be making snow. However, there’s no ongoing snowmaking. They ARE 100% open with tubing as well. Things are looking quite nice for today at the Basye, Virginia ski area but not quite as pristine as the photo they are showing at the top of their snow report page. It kind of gives an impression that things are really deep in snowmaking. The LIVE CAM is providing a reality check though…so check that out. Things look quite nice at Bryce, just not exactly what their snow report page is indicating.
See: http://www.highcountrywebcams.com/webcameras_BryceResort.htm
Massanutten Resort – 35.4° – 10 of 14 Trails Open as well as 10 lanes of snow tubing and very nice coverage. There’s quite a lot of snow forecasted for Harrisonburg so that should bode well for snow lovers heading in that direction.
Check out the streaming cam at Mass at: http://www.highcountrywebcams.com/webcameras_massanutten.htm
The Homestead Resort – 27° – Here’s another place where the temps appear colder in the area but the resort isn’t quite getting the cold temps to make snow. They are open today with 4 of 10 trails Open and tubing. Matt Fussell writes, "This morning the forecast calls for the high today to reach the upper 40’s with mostly sunny skies. Look for snow showers to start late tonight with possible 5"-8" of snow by end of the day tomorrow."
***Tubing is open with 2 lanes in operation
***Mini-snowmobiles are closed.
****Snowmobile tours are tonight for night skiing.
Thanks Matt. We’re looking forward to that new LIVE CAM! Hopefully it gets up and running this week.
Wintergreen Resort – 35° – THEY MADE SNOW overnight and have 15 of 26 Trails Open as well as Tubing and Terrain Parks. Lots of snow is forecasted for Wintergreen Sunday! These guys have really fought the fight and could use some crowd producing snows!
Canaan Valley Resort – 27° – David Vance updated us early this morning and they didn’t make snow either but things setup nicely overnight with the cold temps and they have 19 of 39 Trails Open and ice skating and tubing as well. Canaan and all the WV resorts are looking at a potential dumping of snow this weekend.
Snowshoe Mountain Resort – 25° – Snowmaking occurred overnight! They have the most open terrain in the region with 57 of 60 Trails, Tubing, Snowmobiling and more. With more snow coming in things are shaping up for a GREAT SkiSoutheast / Snowshoe Summit. Make plans to join us at Snowshoe, March 2nd, 3rd and 4th and get 25% off all lodging on the mountain and a FREE Sunday lift pass. We have some awesome, newly designed tees we’ll be giving away as well.
Visit: https://www.skisoutheast.com/2012_SkiSoutheast_Snowshoe_Summit.htm and join us. There’s nothing like enjoying the mountain with a couple hundred of your best snow-loving friends!
Timberline Resort – 27° – 30 of 40 Trails are open with great conditions. Check out the LIVE CAM at: http://www.highcountrywebcams.com/webcameras_timberline.htm
Winterplace Resort – 29° = No snowmaking – 25 of 27 Trails Open as well as Tubing and terrain parks and awesome conditions.
See: http://www.highcountrywebcams.com/webcameras_winterplace.htm
Wisp Resort – 27° – No Snowmaking and 26 of 32 Trails Open with Snow Tubing, Terrain Parks, Mountain Coastering and Ice Skating ALL OPEN for your Maryland enjoyment!
Ober Gatlinburg – 48° <- are you kidding me? These guys have fought hard all season long to keep snow on their mountain but they look pretty decent this morning with 5 of 9 Trails Open and snow tubing are open as well as ice skating at the region’s biggest and best ice rink!
SkiMail me if you feel the need at [email protected] or [email protected]