Colder Air and Even Some Opportunities for Snow in the Forecast???

First Trax

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I was up at Appalachian Ski Mountain on Tuesday doing some recon for something special that we’re attempting to offer very soon and while visiting with General Manager Brad Moretz I greeted him with the standard, "How’s it going Brad?"

His answer was an expected, "I’d be doing a lot better if I was making snow!"

Brad was smiling as he said it, displaying a great attitude, but it is obvious that all management crews at all of the ski areas of the Southeast and Mid Atlantic are PAST ready to get started.

I was hanging with another local industry insider last night and he made the statement, "It looks like we’re going to get to make snow Monday night (November 23rd) and do some Thanksgiving skiing."

He shared that his crew was looking at forecasts that are calling for temps perhaps in the upper 20s for Monday night around the higher elevations of Banner Elk and Beech. We’re not seeing that on any of the forecasts that we’re getting but it DOES appear that cold temps are on the way perhaps for Black Friday. Some emailers are sending us the ten day forecasts via Accuweather, etc and unfortunately those long range forecasts are nothing more than historic models. However, the GOOD news is that several weather peeps are telling us that the short to mid-range data is looking favorable for a colder air mass to come in around Friday, November 27th with cold enough air to make snow for a couple of days.

Some computer models are seemingly favoring a bit colder air on the 25th with temps in the mid to upper 20s, but most seem to lean towards the colder air to filter in closer to Friday. One model even has a blizzard opportunity for the DC/VA area. (Don’t count on it!)

Right now every ski and snowboarding enthusiast in the region is suffering from the "I-can’t-wait-itus" blues but as several members of the messageboard have written us – what we’re going through right now is pretty close to what Accuweather Meteorologist Joe Bastardi and SkiSoutheast Meteorologist Brad Panovich warned us that we’d be experiencing during November. They and others forecasted a wet and rather mild November. Remember that they and others ALSO forecasted a colder and snowier Winter.

One emailer wrote this morning, "Hey guys, throw us a &%$& bone! How about a forecast? How about tell us when it will be cold enough to open up."

(That was one of the nicer emails in my INBOX this morning!) As I said, there’s a lot of people frustrated after a long off-season and they want to play in the snow!

The only "bone" I can throw you guys this morning is that COLDER AIR is on the way. We’re not seeing crazy cold air in the forecast just yet, but cold air will come and we’ll be enjoying the resorts of the region in very short order. Some ski areas may be able to make snow again around next Wednesday (Nov 25th) and there MIGHT be an opening or two for Thanksgiving Weekend. As we get a day or two closer we’ll be able to inform you guys better. For now, we’re all watching the weather forecasts and the webcams for the first sign of a snowgun firing up in earnest.

It will happen. Be patient! Write it down – THIS WILL BE A PHENOMENAL WINTER. Make your reservations early!

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