15% More Snow My _____! How Much Snow Did Fall this Season and Where?

According to SNOWSHOE, they’ve only had 97″ of snow this season, making it 53.8% of average. The SNOWIEST place in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic this season only saw 54-59% of their average snowfall. That warrants the question, “Does snow fall when a resort is not officially open?” We think the answer is “YES”…hence our 107” tally.

In the last 14 seasons Snowshoe has averaged 145.6″ of snowfall…meeting or surpassing the 180″ only 4 times in those 14 seasons. The biggest was the ’09-’10 season when 229″ fell. The 2017 season was pretty good with 173″ falling. Regardless, Snowshoe saw some amazing powder days with more snow than the rest of the resorts in the region. Perception…perception.

One of the snowiest spots in the region annually AND the second snowiest spot THIS SEASON only saw 54.5% off their annual average snowfall. It didn’t feel that way though as there always seemed to be snow on the ground during Justin Harris’ mountain zen videos. As snowy as Canaan is, they have only hit the 180″ mark during THREE of the last fifteen years. The biggest snow season were ’12-’13 with 221.8″ and ’09-’10 with 250.8″.

Here is another, “Does snowfall count when a resort is CLOSED?” We still say YES and therefore in reality Timberline ALSO saw 98.1″ or so of snow this season. However, there’s been NOTHING REAL about the situation up at Timberline Four Seasons Resort. They haven’t EVEN HAD four seasons in the last two years, opting not to open last Summer or Fall.

As most of our readers know, there is real chance that Timberline won’t even BE on our snow report next season unless there is some miracle intervention and they can open. A real shame. You know, if a thousand of us (I’m in if you guys are!) would ante up $7,000 each, we could probably buy the place. I don’t have a clue of what the real price tag is so that was probably JUST STUPID of me to post.

You know I seem to remember that Wisp used to share a promotional, annual average of 100″. The crazy thing is they topped 100″ of snowfall so many of the last 15 years (9 to be exact) and with seasons that tallied 155″, 184″, 152″, 226″, 124″, etc…that I think that I MIGHT have changed their annual snowfall averages myself. (Really I might have.)

This season was (and still is) a great one to be loving on the Garrett County ski resort. While they may have only reached 79″ and maybe 79% of their reported average snowfall, it FELT a lot snowier than that with the whole area covered in snow on the ground for a large part of the season. It was just never deep snow. Their best season was…drum roll…yep the ’09-’10 season with 226″. I think I was there during some of that.

Beech almost hit their average snowfall during the 2017 season when they saw 78.6″ of snowfall. The last time they hit it was during the ’13-’14 season when 82″ fell. From 2009 to 2013 they saw four seasons where they surpassed the average. 2005-2008 were sub-par seasons. Beech’s best seasons were in the ’10-’11 season with 130.5″ and the ’09-’10 season with 122″. I am ready for more of those! Beech was the snowiest resort in the Tarheel state this season.

It isn’t often when a Virginia ski area sees more snow than the High Country’s (NC Mountains) get. However, Wintergreen saw some good snows this season and surpassed their average of 34″ by 10″ and at 129% of average, they led the way in getting better-than-average snow. Interestingly, they have met or surpassed their average in 8 of the last 15 seasons. It might be time for them to UP their promoted average! Their snowiest season? Back in ’04-’05 when 57″ fell.

Even though Winterplace promotes 100″ annually, they have more often than not seen about the same snowfall number annually that Sugar and Beech Mountain have. I’ve often marveled at comparing temps and snowfall at these three mountains and how often they are about the same. THIS season the bigger storms just missed the Ghent, WV ski resort. Actually Winterplace has only hit or surpassed the 100″ mark in TWO of the last fifteen seasons. Their best season was during the snowy, ’09-’10 season when 161″ of snow fell. We need more of those! The only other year that they topped their average was way back in the ’04-’05 season when 101″ fell.

By ALL accounts, Cataloochee has had a great season. They are actually one of the resorts that we will claim hit their annual average of 40″ per season that they promote. This was the first season since ’12-’13 that they did so. Their best season in the last fifteen was back in ’05-’06 when they reached 67″. In the last 15 seasons, they have hit or surpassed their average just 7 times.

Yep Bryce was in the snowier-than-usual state of Virginia and they picked up some nice snowfalls that tallied pretty good for the Basye, VA ski resort. They exceeded 30″ annually six times in the last ten seasons with the most snow in one season being 75.8″ that fell during the ’13-’14 season.

It has been nine seasons since App hit its average annual snow when back during the 2010-11 season when they saw 62.6″ of snow. 2009 they saw 71.8″. The previous five seasons were sub par snow seasons. Good thing Brad and his gang can create a manmade blizzard.

The Homestead (as most of us still call it) had a good season. It started a little sluggish but they enjoyed a stellar season even if natural snow was off significantly. It might be time that Homestead changes their promoted 50″ of annual snow as they have only hit that mark in ONE of the last twelve seasons. They have averaged 26.2″ in that span and their best season in 15 was back in the great ’09-’10 season when they hit 54″.

Unlike Bryce and Wintergreen, Massanutten was just caught short on some of the nicer storms this winter. They have hit their average of 35″ only 5 times in the last 15 seasons. However, they had a whopper 70″ snow season back in ’09-’10. They got close this season!

It might be time for Orville to hit on those creeps that bought up and copyrighted the words “Wolf Laurel”. Literally every business – even things like Wolf Laurel Realty and Wolf Laurel heating and air had to change their name. At about that same time, their luck seemed to change and not for the good.

Orville and company have really not had ANYTHING in the way of consistent weather to work with there ever since. As if the real estate crash of 2008 wasn’t bad enough, they’ve had a revolving door of interested buyers that fell through; fires that destroyed their beautiful lodge building, lifts and more. They quickly doubled the resort in trail count for all of one season and have never been able to get it back open.

Maybe a complete name change to Ꮼlf ᎳᎤrᎡl

How cool would THAT be? It is “Wolf Laurel” in Cherokee. I kind of like it and I’d bet it would snow more…and change their luck. Seasons have been pretty short at the great, little ski area recently. I got off on a tangent, but Wolf has not seen 65″ of snow but THREE times in the last fifteen years. The 2017-2018 season was ONE of them. Other than that, it has been slim. Their best was during the ’09-’10 season with 100″.

Not hard to see that Sapphire is at one-half of average snow this season. It MAY be time for them to promote lessor snowfall on their literature as they have not seen 30″ of snowfall in a single season since the ’09-’10 season when they had 32.9″. They hit or surpassed 30″ ONCE in the 13 seasons we’ve tracked them.

The climate has just been “different” for a while now over in the Smokies. Ober has not had 35″ TOTAL when you combine each of the last THREE seasons. 9.5″ this season; 9″ last season and 11″ the season before that. It’s a great thing they can make snow at 70°! It has been nine years since they hit or surpassed their average when in back-to-back seasons (09-10 & 10-11) they hit 45″ each of those years.