So if you have a trip planned for this weekend things are looking pretty good for fast-improving conditions and things look even better into next week!
Here are some notes for today:
North Carolina Ski Areas struggle:
Appalachian dropped 12" of base but still looks quite nice with 8 of 10 trails open and ice skating.
Cataloochee dropped 5" of base and closed three trails and now offer 5 of 14 trails. Snowtubing is closed until Friday. Cataloochee actually looks decent for today. Snowmaking temps tonight will have them looking pretty on Thursday.
<This trail iis closed but connects Lower Shawneehaw to the bottom of the mountain and a lot of work is needed to bring it back online.
Ski Beech dropped 5" of base but they are still open and they have 2 trails open for day skiing. It is doubtful anyone will be on the slopes, but as we mentioned late on Tuesday, Ryan Costin has his bunch raring to make snow as soon as the temps allow this evening. There’s still snow on the mountain, but they have a lot of work to do to provide a good product for this weekend but thanks to a good forecast they may be able to make snow around the clock once those temps hit this afternoon and they will amaze you as to how good that place will look by Friday. Hang with them, they are hopeful of getting a third pump operational any day now that will help them with increased snowmaking capacity. They been pretty handcuffed thus far with only 2 of 3 pumps available. (See Tuesday’s story by clicking here.)
Sugar Mountain only reported a 2" drop in base, but a lot of thin coverage and bare areas appeared during and after Tuesday’s hard rains. They still have quite a good bit of skiable terrain with 11 of 20 trails open for day skiing and they are open for night skiing as well, but they are looking pretty rough this morning. They will bounce back a lot quicker than Beech as soon as the snowmakers crank up this afternoon. Snowmaking capacity is not an issue at Sugar and they will look darn nice by mid day on Thursday. By Friday, you’ll never know they had thin coverage.
Sugar still has ice skating open and one lane of tubing as well.
Wolf Ridge Resort is reporting an average base of 24" and they still look pretty good with "creeping edges" but no bare spots visible via the cams. They will ski on 4 slopes today and can’t wait to make snow later today. Tubing is closed.
Bryce Resort has five live cams and looking at them shows you that there is really no thin coverage on their mountain. There are a few areas where trails are creeping in pretty narrow, but they remain in pretty decent shape on 7 of 8 trails and tubing is open. They’ll be in great shape for this weekend with snowmaking returning tonight!
Massanutten Resort is holding up fine as they are reporting a low temp this morning of 34° and 9 of 14 trails open and 8 lanes of tubing. They’ve groomed all but the terrain parks (which are also open!)
Maybe Mass’ temp is an anomoly because Wintergreen Resort is reporting 45°. They still are holding with 9 slopes of 26 open and tubing is open as well. They are reporting a drop of 10" of base since yesterday and that will have a lot of thin coverage showing. They will bounce back quickly with snowmaking tonight and Thursday and look good for the weekend.
Canaan Valley is reporting 49° and rain this morning. That will change over to snow later and with added snowmaking they will look darn nice by Thursday mid day. They are day skiing and tubing and have 12 of 39 trails open. Ice skating is open as well.
Snowshoe Mountain is reporting 42° and light rain. They are expecting snow to fall this afternoon through Friday and that should provide a great time to all the SkiSoutheast crew that is attending this weekend’s campout. As I understand it those peeps are being treated to a great meal at the BackCountry Hut and free lodging(camping) and all they had to do was purchase a lift ticket. You guys should have some great conditions for this weekend! Snowshoe has 52 of 60 trails open and night skiing over on Silvercreek this evening. The high at Snowshoe Thursday is forecasted to be around 18°!
Timberline is reporting 35° and rain. That will change over to snow for their 20 of 37 open trails for day skiing.
Winterplace Resort is open with 20 of 28 trails for day and night skiing and tubing as well. They are reporting 44° and light rain this morning with snow in the forecast and great snowmaking temps. Winterplace will be in great shape for Thursday and this weekend.
Wisp Resort is reporting light rain and 35° with wet granular conditions on 24 trails of 35 on the mountain and they are open until 9pm. They have tubing, mountain coastering and terrain park open as well.
Ober Gatlinburg is hanging in there with 4 trails open and ice skating from noon til 10pm.
As always, be sure to click over to www.SkiSoutheast.com for more news about ALL of the ski resorts of the Southeast and Mid Atlantic including more photos
of the day, more snow news, more videos…and just MORE!
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