Later today I will be traveling home and since last night was a later night, I am combining both SkiNC and SkiSoutheast comments. We will resume the normal flow of content and photo uploads tomorrow. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Lots of fireworks and lots of fun was had at area ski resorts yesterday and last night and we heard from several of our On-Snow Reporters…and even got some fireworks photos so be sure to check on the various Photos of the Day images from each of the resorts under the Photos of the Day link. Conditions on Saturday were pretty much the same from all across the region as we received reports of nice soft snow and heavy crowds.
The big question on everyone’s mind today seems to be the weather, so we’ll get right to it.
Most of the Southeast’s higher elevations from North Carolina up to West Virginia and Maryland are forecasted to have amazingly similar weather and weather patterns for the next few days. Expect a wonderful – MILD day of skiing today under Partly Cloudy skies. Today is a travel day for many of the Holiday skiers so expect slope traffic to drop off considerably after lunch. Highs today will reach close to 50° across the entire southeast. Late tonight the rains move in with no snowmaking chances as temps will only drop into the 40s.
Monday is another travel day for many since most schools are still out across the region. Monday will be a good day to be INSIDE your house or car. Only the absolute diehards will be seen skiing or riding on Monday as moderate to HEAVY rain is forecasted and temps in the 50s. West Virginia is looking at 100% chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Those south will get a little more moderate version…but it will be quite wet!
Tuesday? More rain. Slightly less chances…but at 60-70% expect it to be another wet day. Highs in the 40s and lows near 30° as we get closer to what most weather experts are saying will be the end of this wet, milder pattern and back to a more normal winter pattern for us on Thursday.
This weather patter could not have worked out better for all of the Southeast’s Ski Resorts because traffic and slope conditions have held up quite well despite some spurts of damp weather and milder – no-snowmaking temperatures. Most reports across the region are reporting LITTLE to NO drop in base depths which a TOTALLY different story that I am saving for tomorrow…because even at Snowshoe Mountain where they have received 5" of snow in the last three days…there were a few "thin coverage" areas where ski patrol had setup markers to steer skiers and riders away from. You can’t really have thin coverage areas like that and not see lowered base depths by merely one or two inches. Most resorts including Snowshoe have performed great grooming and snow maintenance to keep us riding on some near-perfect conditions for the entire Holiday period. I was out early every morning and slope conditions at Snowshoe have been phenomenal with yesterday’s early, pre-high-traffic, conditions being maybe the best they’ve been all week. Supple, soft, easy-carving snow that had been groomed wonderfully. Later in the day, traffic created some heavy granular conditions on many slopes…but all in all it was fabulous across the board, with (as I mentioned earlier) literally one of two marked areas where grass was popping up in the very edge of the skiable terrain. Don’t get me wrong, there was LOTS of natural snow (more than a foot or so) in many areas off the trails and around the resort…but there were also those aforementioned couple of grassy areas.
My point is if that was happening at Snowshoe, where they have received more snow and have experienced colder temps, then base depth elsewhere should be affected more than we are seeing reported. Enough for now…
So get out an ski today’s VERY NICE, side-to-side AMPLE base depth snows and then rest up, and stay dry until Thursday when winter…and some mentions of natural snows enter the forecast. FYI, Wednesday should be partly cloudy as well…just still on the mild side…so by all means Wednesday will be a nice ski day as well.
The resorts can now breathe a HUGE sigh of relief as near record crowds enjoyed most everyday of the important Holiday period and now we can await the wonderful return to cold and snowy weather later in the week that all forecasters are predicting. If the last few (and next few) days are our brief period of thaw that we always experience…this should be ONE HECK of a Winter!
Think COLD and have a great day today!
Until Next Time!
Be sure to check out www.SkiSoutheast.com for more news and stories for all of the Southeast’s ski areas.
Be sure to email photos, snow reports and comments to: [email protected]