Happy New Year, all. I hope my first report for 2013 finds you in good spirits and overjoyed with the current ski conditions. I imagine many of you have made your first turns by now, and most likely have quite a few days on the snow under your belt. Up to the right is a pic of skiers getting first tracks on Squirrel Cage at Wisp! If you don't fall under either of these categories, not to worry – there is plenty of time left in the season (considering it's just begun for many resorts). I offer this comfort partially because I need it myself 😉 I'm still awaiting the opportunity to get out there (and as soon as I do, you'll be the first to know, in case you've been wondering)!
Holy smokes! A lot has changed between this morning's snow report and the last one I did on December 21, 2012. Just a couple of weeks ago, it took me maybe 10 minutes to collect the data with just a select few of resorts running. Now, with all 16 resorts open and operating in full swing (17 actually, however Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre's conditions never change), it required a little more time and effort to gather the slope conditions, snow reports, etc. Just the way I like it! I certainly look forward to getting up out of bed and taking on the task more so now than I did before when I knew not much would be different from the day before.
Only two resorts saw new snowfall in the past 24 hours – Beech and Sugar in NC with half an inch each. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if resorts start to see some snow today. It's actually flurrying in nearby areas around our part of Western NC right now.
In any event, the temperatures across the board are ridiculously low, and snowmaking is well under way at several slopes! The highest temp this morning was at Massanutten in Virginia at 36 degrees, the lowest at Snowshoe at 8 degrees, and the average between the 16 resorts was 25 degrees (calculations provided by yours truly).
We've already heard that these frigid temperatures are here to stay for the next week or so, so bundle up and enjoy! You'll wish you did if you hold off until next weekend, when the notorious "January Thaw" is expected. I need to see a picture of this guy because I keep trying to compare him to Jack Frost and Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster… There's a challenge for any artists out there — create a graphic for this enemy so we can put a face to a name.
Alright, I'll leave you with that tangent, while you're still with me. Go plan your next ski trip now that you have your choice of 16 southeastern ski resorts that are boasting fantastic conditions. Conditions look good at Mass from this view >> We'd love to read your trip reports, as I'm sure many others would as well, so feel free to post them to our message board. Follow us on Twitter, and check back tomorrow to see all of our winners from our recent 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways!
It's great to be back. Email me at [email protected].