This coming weekend will be one SWEET weekend to ski or ride, no matter where you choose to play!
Most of the Southeast and Mid Atlantic ski areas will see mostly sunny skies and cold temps in the 20s and low 30s for Saturday and slightly milder temps on Sunday. Some of the ski areas within West Virginia and Maryland may see some additional light snow falling both today and Saturday…then sunny skies on Sunday.
Behind that? Snow, cold, wind and God know what! According to most forecast models we WILL get some snow and it will be cold and blustery as well. After the snow clears out on Tuesday and Wednesday it will be colder as another blast of arctic air hits the area. So regardless of the Monday snow storm or fizzle (whichever), we will see continued great ski and snowboarding conditions across the region!
According to the GFS, the UK Model, the European Model and the Canadian Model we’re going to get some snow. However, only two of these models say that we’re going to get significant snow now. Two are forecasting only light snow. I guess we’ll have to hire "Helga, the Scandinavian Model" to wrestle all of these other models to the ground so that we can get the significant snow that we’re all hoping for.
I feel like I got slapped on the wrist with a ruler because now some twelve hours later (since the last weather update) forecasters are saying – "OH NO, NO, NO! This Monday snowstorm is nothing like the system that shaped up and dumped snow on our region back in 1993. "
"There’s no comparison", says another.
Of course, I never said that this approaching storm should compare to the Blizzard of ’93. Well, I did mention that some of our readers were saying that. Some of our weather gurus were quoted yesterday as saying "It has been a long time since we’ve seen this kind of system taking shape". Another weather dudette wrote, "It has been several years since we’ve seen the kind of rare combination that this system is setup to deliver on Monday."
OKAY, WHAT I SUPPOSED TO THINK!?!?!
CAN’T THESE MODELS JUST GET ALONG!
<This recent photo of the Canadian model, Jessica Stam looks pretty "frosty" wouldn’t you say? I say let’s make her our mascot for winter!
Listening to Meteorologist Matthew East’s video update this morning sounds like he’s a host for some kind of a modeling, talent search!
Click here to watch his forecast video!
He was going on about the European Model, Canadian Model and others and I could envision someone like the Canadian Model, Jessica Stam (pictured here) attempting to describe what the forecast would be for this Monday’s storm. I can’t help but envision something like the Miss Teen South Carolina gal, Lauren Upton (who attends Appalachian State University by the way) when she blew up on a question during the pageant a couple of years ago. It might go something like this:
"I personally believe that U.S. Americans models or the GSF, GFS or something would be able to do so because, uh, some, people out there in our nation don’t have maps to predict the snow coming in and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, people to know what the weather is, uh, going to do on Monday. You know for our futures and world peace and all!"
HECK AT LEAST SHE’S TALKING!!!
I tried to squeeze a number out of a couple of our meteorologist buddies and you’d think that I have the plague or something! Not one of the local meteorologists are ready to come forward with any kind of estimate as to how much snow may come out of this approaching snow storm. Of course, I understand because there are so many of us that want a huge snow event. Some of these weather gurus probably worry about being strung up on the nearest tree. We wouldn’t do that, would we 😉
One thing we CAN say and agree on – The National Weather Service RARELY relates a 70% chance of snow four days away from a storm and that is what they are doing right now. They are forecasting a 70% chance of snow for Monday and a 60% chance of snow on Tuesday. We’re sticking with our guess that more significant snows will fall! Okay, Helga, do your thing!
We’ve given enough press to a storm that may not even happen, so here’s the tour for today!
Wintergreen Resort – 22° – They made a bunch of snow and are excited to share some great conditions with you guys. They report a base of 40-60" of groomed, packed manmade powder on 100% of their terrain (26 trails) and snow tubing as well. Anne Marie Jones writes, "22 glorious degrees at 6:30am, we are making great snow! We have an event packed weekend on the way with great weather forecasted and even better snow conditions! The Wintergreen Slope Style event on Sunday is definitely something to check out. Skiers and boarders from all over the region will compete for prizes and the honor of wowing the crowd with great tricks. Come participate or simply marvel at the talent. If you show up on Sunday wearing your favorite NFL team jersey, jacket or helmet you get a $5 discount on your lift ticket. And for all of you planning to watch the big game, don’t forget to stop by The Edge Restaurant for our Super Bowl Party and .25 cent wings or pizza by the slice at The Dome and the game on the really big screen. We have something for everyone this weekend, come up and have some fun!"
Massanutten Resort – 22° – They report some snowmaking on 4 trails and their CMB Terrain Park. They are 100% open with groomed conditions on a base of 50" and they have both terrain parks open and 8 lanes in their tubing park open. The Diamond Jim trail is closed today due to racing.
Bryce Resort – 25° – They report no snowmaking but have all 8 of their trails open with snow tubing as well.
These guys in West Virginia just keep on getting significant snow! Canaan Valley and Timberline are located in Tucker County, West Virginia, basically one ridge over from each other (kind of like Beech and Sugar) and they picked up another 1.6" of snow in the last 24 hours!
Check this out: They have received measureable snowfall on 24 of the 30 days in January! …and we’re not talking about little dustings either! Since January 15th, they have had from 8-16" of snow at any given time on the ground and they have now received 61" on the month and 131.3" on the season!
Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center – 24° – They received another burst of snow in the last 24 hours and are expecting 1-3" more today! They did not make snow but why should they when Ma Nature keeps on doing it for them! They will offer sweet conditions on a base of 20-40" on 38 trails and they offer snow tubing, ice skating and air boarding as well!
Timberline Resort – 21° – They are getting more snow right now and report a base of 35-65" of groomed conditions on 80% of their terrain! They made snow and are doing some on some closed terrain right now. Conditions could not be better than they are right now at Timberline! Timberline has all SIX of their Double Black trails open as well!
Jessica Scowcroft wrote, "White Lightning will be closed Saturday, Jan. 31st and Sunday, Feb. 1st for a Collegial Race. We also have Local musicians who will be performing Celtic Music during happy hour this weekend from 4-7pm. Dick Dragon & the Monkeys will be performing in the evenings and at our Super Bowl Party."
Snowshoe Mountain – 16° – They report no additional snow in the last 24 hours but they are expecting some snow today and we have reports that it is snowing right now. They are back to 100% open for the weekend with great conditions. They have snow tubing, snow mobiling and all of the terrain parks open as well. Snowshoe has 5 Features in the Mountaineer Terrain Park: Single Barrel Rail, Flat to Down Rail, 2 Small/Medium Jump, and a Rainbow Rail. The Halfpipe at Mountaineer is open and it was recut on Thursday night!
The Spruce Glades Terrain Park has 7 Features in it: Unbow, 2 Medium Jumps, Down Rail, Wall Ride, Rainbow Box, Coffin Box 5 Features in the Powder Monkey Terrain Garden: Flat Box, Down Rail, Flat Down Box, Triangle Box, and a Wall Ride. The Cupp Run Challenge comes up on Monday so if you want to participate or attend that fun event, make plans NOW!
Winterplace Resort – 21° – They report an inch of new snow and great conditions on 25 of 28 trails. They also have their popular (and probably the largest tubing park on the east coast) in operation! They are making snow on Ridge Runner and Wood’s Run and expect to have those open for the weekend. Turkey Chute opens around noon today! Awesome conditions says Winterplace! They are reporting a base of 28-68"
Wisp Resort – 21° – One inch of snow in the last 24 hours, 8" on the week and 90" now on the season! That gets Wisp within 10" of their normal full seasonal snowfall total and it’s still January! They offer a reported base of 20-65" on 31 trails and they have snow tubing and their mountain coaster open! They are making snow on 3 trails right now and they also have three of their four terrain parks open!
Ober Gatlinburg – 27° – They got a TRACE of new snow and report a base of 36-70" with some manmade snow overnight. They are open with snow tubing and 6 trails of groomed / loose snow conditions.
Appalachian Ski Mountain – 18° – 100% open with both terrain parks and ice skating as well. They made snow last night and report a base of 84-110". They will NOT be making snow during sessions! MAN! We were just watching the groomers on the main hill and that snow looks AWESOME! I’ve got to try to knock off early and hit that!
Cataloochee Ski Area – 17° – They are 100% open with all 14 trails, snow tubing and some terrain park features. They are reporting a base of 42-90" and groomed conditions.
Ski Beech – 14° – They are making snow and will continue as long as temps allow on some trails. They are holding with 11 of 15 trails open, terrain park setup on Powder Bowl and ice skating open as well. Beech is getting some snow right now as well! They are reporting a base of 30-60" of groomed, packed manmade and frozen granular. They have their tubing hill open as well.
Sugar Mountain Ski Resort – 12° – It is snowing there right now as well! They are making snow and will continue as long as temps allow. They offer a base of 38-77" of manmade powder and frozen granular conditions on 100% of the slopes and trails (20) and snow tubing and ice skating too.
Wolf Ridge Ski Resort – 25° – They are reporting snowmaking and groomed conditions on a base of 46-66" and they offer 10 trails, and snow tubing today.
Hawksnest Snow Tubing Park – 14° – They are grooming right now and this weekend should be a lot of fun at their tubing only park.
(Some people have written that Hawksnest is promoting their park as the "largest snow tubing park on the east coast" and erroneously so. Janie Sims of Roanoke wrote, "We had a chance to visit with some friends last week and we went tubing at Hawksnest. We really had a great time, but were somewhat disappointed because they say that they have the largest on the east coast and they actually are smaller than the ones up at Winterplace. Thought you should know.)
Well Janie, you are not the first to report this to us. I think that Hawksnest has plans to have more tubing lanes and terrain open than they’ve been able to thus far. As it stands right now though, we’d have to agree with your critique. Actually as far as size, Wisp Resort in Maryland actually offers more tubing length and lanes than Hawksnest as well. We’re not a tubing park website, but if you guys "talk" we will respond! (That just doesn’t have the ring of "We report, you decide" does it?
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