Another morning, another opportunity to mention how bad the weather is. The final week of the year continues to disappoint snow lovers and it looks like that will continue for a few more days. That cold front on Sunday can’t come soon enough as conditions at the ski areas are deteriorating faster now and we’re starting to see the dreaded “Unfortunately, due to unseasonably warm weather…” statements coming out.
Mike mentioned yesterday that he didn’t think some ski areas were going to make it and would have to temporarily close. Well, he was right. Massanutten has made the call to temporarily suspend skiing and snowboarding operations until the cold air returns. I actually stole the title of this post from their snow report this morning…
This weather is not cool. Literally. Unfortunately, due to unseasonably warm temperatures, we have to temporarily suspend ski and snowboarding operations starting at 5 pm today. The good news is that at this time, it looks like Mother Nature will be sending us some nice, cold snowmaking temps Sunday or Monday. We will work hard to get the mountain re-open as soon as possible….While it’s a bummer the weather is not quite cooperating with us right now, we know you will still have an amazing vacation with us, maybe even experiencing something new! Massanutten is known for having a lot to do both on the Resort property and nearby so there is no shortage of new adventure to take part in like golf, recreation centers, dining, shopping, music classes, and more.
Wintergreen also has had to shut down things for a bit as well. Tubing is still open for now though so at least guests have some sort of snow activity to take part in. Bryce Resort is currently the only open Virginia ski area and the base cam there shows some pretty decent coverage…considering what the weather has been like of course.
Elsewhere, Winterplace has adjusted their operating hours and will be offering day sessions only for today and tomorrow (and probably Saturday as well I’d imagine). They’ve also had to suspend tubing operations for the time being.
That means that currently there are 6 ski areas in the region temporarily closed, with others having some adjusted schedules. Brutal. After last year’s successful season where I believe all 3 big holiday time periods had good conditions, this stings. It probably stings even more when you look at all of the snow that’s been dumping out west.
These mid-season temporary closures have unfortunately become the norm in recent years. I’d have to go back and look at things, but I want to say that 4 out of the last 5 seasons here have seen multiple resorts have to suspend operations in the middle of the season due to mild weather. After last year’s consistent cold, I was hoping for another year without this doom and gloom!
Looking Ahead
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. That’s the day we are all looking forward to right now as that’s when the colder temps will return. We are still on track to see snowmaking crank back up during the second half of Sunday and into the evening. Monday morning is going to feel like Christmas all over again after this tough week. We might even have a light blanket of natural snow at many of the ski areas which would be a nice little treat as natural snow has been few and far between thus far this season.
Looking at the weather models, and it is refreshing to finally see that stubborn Bermuda high get pushed out of the Southeast. Below is the 500mb height anomaly from the Euro model for the first week of 2022. All you need to know is that blue is good! Heck, even grey is at this point.
In between now and Sunday we are still going to remain on the struggle bus though. Today, tomorrow, and Saturday will feature more mild and wet weather. I’d recommend you keep checking in here on a daily basis and paying attention to the SNOW REPORT as I wouldn’t be surprised to see another closure and/or operating hours adjustments. If you are out and about on the slopes, stay positive and have fun! And dry, try to stay dry.