First Trax :: Daily News

BEAUTIFUL SNOW FALLS ACROSS ENTIRE REGION!

03.3.13 07:36 AM

Editor's Note: We got a lot of great video and photos from Saturday night's Snowshoe Military Appreciation Concert featuring Uncle Kracker. We'll post it later this evening. Here's a tease: You will want to check back and watch this video as the performers last night were TROOPERS weathering 12 degree temps, heavy snow and still singing their rears off! Check back...

First things first...Saturday was an EPIC day to be on the slopes. I truly hope that each of you who are reading this had an opportunity to enjoy the conditions at most if not ALL of the ski areas of the Southeast and Mid Atlantic. I can imagine that conditions had to be equally epic at the other WV ski areas and Wisp Resort in Maryland. I'd imagine that things were pretty epic at Sugar and Beech - where significant snow fell all day Saturday. Ditto that for Cataloochee and Ober Gatlinburg. Ober reported 5" of snow in the last 24 hours which is the "big winner" for 24 hour snowfall. They've seen 7" from the Wednesday-Sunday storm.

The TOTAL STORM "winner" would be Canaan and Timberline with 13.1" of snow in the 5 day storm. Beech's 12" is a close second. I have to be honest though and state emphatically that I can't wait to get home this afternoon and see how Snowshoe's 11" of snow stack's up against back home, where Sugar is reporting 6" from Saturday and 11" storm total.

...Banner Elk this AM...

It just doesn't look like 7-11" on these rooftops at Hwy 184. Before some of you comment that Sugar is a mile or two away, remember that I live there and usually whatever is at the foot of Beech is what is at Sugar. Not seeing that kind of snow on Sugar's tubing cam either. It's snowing HARD no doubt and there's a lot on the ground...but I'm thinking that we need to check and see if that old "Gunther Ruler" has found its way back into operation.

I know this all comes of a bit "whiny" when we're all getting GREAT SNOW right now, but I like to see "the marketing of snow" as a equal thing. As I mentioned on Saturday, many resorts are also official reporting stations for the NWS...and perhaps it would be great to see all of them do so.

WHAT I DON'T HAVE TO IMAGINE is how great the conditions were out on the slopes on Saturday! Sunday will also be EPIC with all of the snow that fell overnight and with the snows that continues to fall this morning. Whether its the 2" that Snowshoe is claiming (that sure looks like 4-5" more than on Saturday morning) or the 6" that Sugar is claiming that looks more like 2-3"...things will be SWEET on the slopes today.

If you guys have not made it to the slopes yet this season, then you should plan to do so this week and next weekend. With MORE SNOW forecasted for Tuesday into Wednesday things will be amazing going into the next several days and with some milder temps and sunshine in the forecast for next weekend, we HIGHLY recommend booking your lodging today!

Sugar, Cataloochee, Beech and App will no doubt be awesome going into these last few weeks. Sapphire Valley closes for the season today. Wolf will probably close this next weekend or the following as they usually close earlier than the rest - with the exception of Sapphire.

The Virginia ski areas are looking great with super snowmaking ops. They have probably done the best snow maintenance of all the Southeast resorts this season as they've done it with much less natural snow and more borderline temps than their sister resorts in WV, NC, etc.

The West Virginia and Maryland resorts will unquestionably offer the deepest natural snows and the most terrain to ski or ride on going into this week.  However, regardless of which resort YOU call your favorite, things will be awesome today and through this next week.

GO PLAY...

SNOW TOTALS SINCE WEDNESDAY AND ON THE SEASON:

APPALACHIAN: 6.5" / 42"
BEECH: 12" / 88"
CATALOOCHEE: 5" / 34"
SAPPHIRE: 1.3" / 5"
SUGAR: 11" / 81"
WOLF: 5" / 37"

BRYCE: NR / 8.5"
MASSANUTTEN: Trace / 9"
HOMESTEAD: Trace / 14"
WINTERGREEN: Trace / 21"

CANAAN: 13.1" / 163.1"
TIMBERLINE: ditto Canaan's
SNOWSHOE: 11" / 136"
WINTERPLACE: 8" / 69"

WISP: 9" / 147"
OBER: 7" / 24"

NOTABLES:

OBER GATLINBURG reported the most snow from yesterday with 5" of new snow and 7" from the Wednesday-Sunday storm.

SNOWSHOE MOUNTAIN: I KNOW that Snowshoe reported 2" of new snow this morning and I am certain that NOAA and/or their NWS reporting is 100% accurate, but if Snowshoe only got 2" of snow as hard as it snowed ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT and this morning so far, then everyone else also receive an inch or so. I can tell you that there is 7" of fluffy snow on my deck rail that was only 2-3" on Saturday morning. I think perhaps Snowshoe saw 2" of precip and that the snow is deeper.

I'll be checking on my horses at Beech this evening and I'll bet this 2" will be deeper than out at the farm...but I'll report later.

CANAAN VALLEY: David Vance emailed me THIS this morning:

"Winter Storm Advisory an accumulation of 4-6 inches storm total by 1:00pm"

The CRAZY thing is that Canaan and Timberline have ALREADY seen 4.1" in the last 24 hours, 13.1" from this storm and 163.1" on the season. According to David Lesher they have 19" of snow on the ground right now. NATURAL SNOW!

WINTERGREEN: I love this post from the Mountain Message this morning:

"DUMP ALERT:  Weather professionals all over the Mid-Atlantic are watching a big storm that is going to pass over Wintergreen Tuesday night through Wednesday.  The exact track of the storm will determine how much snow, however, we are expected 12-24 inches.  Stay tuned for details and start planning a way to come to Wintergreen.  With more than a foot of fresh snow, this coming weekend will be the best skiing and riding conditions of the year. "

(You HAVE to love positive thinking!)

BEECH MOUNTAIN: I just don't get it. Beech's CoCoRaHs reporter reports 4.7" of snow in the last 24 hours and Beech reports 5" (which is totally cool and acceptable in our book) and Ray reports it as 4" and 10" since Wednesday/Thursday. Sugar is calling slightly less snow as 6" and 11" since Wednesday. Oh brother.

The CoCoRaHs reporter atop Sugar has reported 4.1" from Wednesday through Saturday morning (he hasn't updated yet this morning) with 3" of TOTAL SNOW DEPTH as of Saturday morning. Giving Sugar the same 4.7" in the last 24 hours would put that Wed-Sun storm total at 8.8" and not the 11" they are claiming. It's still snowing by the way.

Cataloochee is doing their ONE DAY BIG SEASON PASS SALE DAY TODAY. $459 gets you and unlimited pass for a single person. That's $150 cheaper than if you wait til tomorrow and $200 under regular rates beginning prior to next season. Check out: http://www.cataloochee.com/trip_planning/season_passes.php

Email me if you have any beefs, photos, kudos or images and what not: mike@skisoutheast.com