The Snow Machine Is On and Ready to Go!

First Trax

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Woooo! I am pretty amped this morning and I haven't even had my coffee yet. There's just something about waking up to the sight of snow that gets me pumped. This is what I woke up to outside my bedroom window this morning.

There was a few inches on the ground and it was still snowing.  I'd like to personally thank whoever the guy in the plow truck is as I would not have made it down my driveway without him. He was out earlier than normal this morning thankfully. I'm guessing there's going to be a lot of vacationers in the complex this weekend and he was making sure the roads in there are clear. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of chain action going on this weekend around Banner Elk. Ha.

The snow machine started going last night and it looks to be on through Sunday. The SKI REPORT is showing several places reporting snow this morning, albeit minimal amounts. Here in North Carolina, everyone but Wolf Ridge is reporting a little bit of snowfall ranging from a trace to two inches. The West Virginia resorts are showing similar numbers with Snowshoe and Winterplace leading the way at two inches.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the Virginia ski areas are going to see any natural snow this weekend. That's pretty normal for a northwest flow event like this though so it doesn't come as a surprise. However, it will be cold there and snowmaking should be able to happen during the overnight hours. Take a look at the forecast below for Massanutten over the next several days and you'll see what I mean. I think I could handle partly sunny days with comfortable temps. Not too bad!

So now that the snow has started, how much snow are we looking at? Check out one of the latest model runs below. It goes out to Saturday night at 7pm.


                                  Image courtesy of Weatherbell.com

You can see just how localized the snow will be. That's pretty normal for an event like this though. The difference between Beech and Boone in terms of snow will be pretty drastic and they're only separated by a distance of 10-15 miles. People off the mountain in places like Charlotte will probably have no idea that there's going to possibly be a foot of fresh snow on the ground at Beech come Sunday. Hopefully enough people do realize this and make it up there this weekend because conditions are going to be really, really good.

The West Virginia and Maryland resorts are looking at nearly identical totals as NC in terms of natural snow through the weekend. In the range of four to ten inches looks like a good bet up there. I have a hunch Snowshoe (and MAYBE Timberline/Canaan) might be a little more than that. Maybe I'm just being optimistic since I'm headed up there tonight. It sure looks snowy up there this morning though that's for sure. Messageboard member brookbarrel said some heavy squalls are coming through already which is exciting! All the wind will hopefully load up some spots too. I really want some pow! I'm just excited to be up there for once when it's really good and not rainy/slushy.

I'm not sure if I'll do this or not, but I might try to intermittently live stream some stuff from up there this weekend with my phone. The wifi is usually pretty bad, but I'll see what I can do. If you're here on the site looking around at things, check this page, https://www.skisoutheast.com/live-stream.php, to see if I'm streaming anything. Like I said, I'm not sure I'll be able to but I'll see what I can do. At the very least I might be able to broadcast the gathering Saturday night at Moonshine. That might not be a good idea though as I'm sure the drinks will be a flowing. Ha!

Before I go I guess I'll mention some stuff that's happening this weekend. First up, Cataloochee is having their “BIGBIGBIG One Day Season Pass Sale” on Sunday. Here's what they say about it…

Sunday, March 3, all season passes will be on sale for the lowest price of this year and next for this one day only! Ski for the rest of the season and next on the pass you purchase today! Pass sale will be from 8:30am – 4:30pm only and you can purchase in person, over the phone with a credit card or online! Don't forget seasonal rentals will be available for order for the 2013/14 season at that time as well!

Ober Gatlinburg is celebrating 50 years of skiing in Tennessee this weekend and will be offering $5 lift tickets on Sunday if you bring 5 canned goods or non-perishable food items. Ober may not get the most snow or may not have the most trails, but I really like the way that place is run.

App has a few things going on this weekend. Tomorrow is the Spy After School Shred Session.

As soon as the school bell rings or work is over on Friday, March 1st, grab your gear and meet us on the Mtn. for a FREE jam session on some custom features with our good friends at SPY Optic.

SPY is a huge supporter of ATP, and we are excited to partner with them to bring you a super fun evening with new park features, unique contests, and an always exciting vibe. Expect fun times to be had by all, and some special rails & boxes setup especially for the event. Skiers & Snowboarders of all age and ability are welcome.

SPY will be on hand during the entire event, and will offer some fun giveaways and prizes for standout riders during the session.

The session will begin at 4pm, and will last as long as you guys want! The format will be very laid back and relaxed, but most importantly – FUN!

Inaddition to the on snow session, the Alpine Ski Shop will be offering some great specials on SPY gear – stay tuned for more details as the event approaches.

Saturday is the 4th Annual Recess Wreck Less Rail Jam. Even if you're not entering, it's pretty cool to go out there and watch some of the kids shred. It's crazy how good they are.  On a side note, Recess is the jam!  They fixed my board that I almost destroyed a few weeks back.  If you have to get any work done on your snowboard and you're in the Boone area, I recommend them.

App continues to sell season passes for next season while offering free skiing for the rest of this season to anyone who purchases one. They still have three more weeks until their scheduled closing date so that's a good deal. I wonder if they will extend their season by one more week if the weather cooperates? I hope so.

Finally, Snowshoe's Ridiculous Pass sale ends today. If you haven't taken advantage of it yet, do it! You probably won't see a deal as good as this again.

Everyone enjoy the weekend and head to the mountains if you can! It's going to be a GOOD weekend for skiing and snowboarding.

Email me at [email protected].

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