HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!
Hope the Easter Bunny left you a new set of skis or a new snowboard. Wait, I guess the Easter Bunny only does candy, eggs and stuff toys, right? Easter Sunday for this season will bring an end to two more ski area’s ski seasons. After day sessions both Snowshoe Mountain and Wisp Resort in Maryland will call it quits.
We received a few nice pics of Snowshoe from Saturday and we posted a Snowshoe Mountain photo as our Photo of the Day on the SkiSoutheast.com side of things. A nice shot of Appalachian from this past week dons the front page of SkiNC.com.
Most of the photos that we saw shows plenty of snow on plenty of slopes for several ski areas to still be open and that is amazing considering how warm it has been recently.
Appalachian and Cataloochee are both still 100% open for Sunday…which on April 4th is also an amazing testament to how much snow fell this past season. Of course a lot of it is manmade snow as well.
Regardless, there is a lot of snow still piled up on ski area slopes all over the region. We’ve received several photos from CLOSED ski areas where some of you guys were hitting the slopes with sleds, shovels, skis and snowboards. We’re not showing them since that could get you guys in trouble since the ski areas are closed and that is a "no no".
The weather will be near perfect for this last day of skiing for Wisp and Snowshoe Mountain for the 2009-2010 ski and snowboarding season. They’ve both had awesome seasons and we’ll get you some closing comments from both of them asap.
Appalachian will ride on all this week – daily – then close it up NEXT SUNDAY, April 11th. Cataloochee will be closed during the week but reopen for Saturday and Sunday.
WEATHER GURUS SHARE NEWS…
Since things are coming to a close for this season I was planning to share some comments about how great our weather forecasting was this season. It was better than it’s been since we’ve been doing this website. All of the contributing weather gurus and our guy, Brad Panovich NAILED most of the forecasts this season and I think it’s safe to say that all of the meteorologists missed the AMOUNT of snowfall this season. Even the most snow-loving weather peeps could never have forecasted 150-274% of average snowfall for many ski areas.
Most forecasted 100-150% of average snowfall and all resorts at least equalled that prognistication. The winner this year in total inches of snowfall was Timberline and Canaan with 250.8" of snow on the season. However in terms of which resorts received way more snow than their average…the winner by far was Wintergreen Resort with 274% more snow than usual. Their 93" on the season was vastly more than the 34" per season that they’d typically receive.
Wisp was way up the list with 226% more than their usual 100"…but they’ve actually average closer to 120" per season over the last few seasons. However nobody could have predicted the 226" that fell in Garrett County Maryland this season.
Snowshoe Mountain was its typically snowy self with 229" this season. That figure provided them with the second MOST snowfall this season of all of the resorts…but way down the list since they average 180" per season and picked up 229" this season.
How much snow fell? How much departure from average?
Wintergreen – averages 34" – received 93" – 274%
Wisp Resort – averages 100" – received 226" – 226%
Bryce – averages 30" – received 60.5" – 202%
Massanutten – averages 35" – received 70" – 200%
Canaan – averages 150" – received 250.8" – 167%
Timberline – average 150" – received 250.8" – 167%
Cataloochee – averages 40" – received 65.4" – 164%
Winterplace – averages 100" – received 161" – 161%
Wolf Ridge – averages 65" – received 100" – 154%
Beech Mtn – averages 80" – received 122" – 153%
Sugar Mtn – averages 78" – received 118" – 151%
Appalachian – averages 50" – received 71.8" – 144%
Ober – averages 35" – received 45" – 129%
Snowshoe – averages 180" – received 229" – 127%
Sapphire – averages 30" – received 32.9" – 109%
MORE WEATHER STUFF…
TODAY, April 4th is the 50th Anniversary of the Satellite that “Forever Changed Weather Forecasting”.
Fifty years ago today, the world’s first weather satellite lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., and opened a new and exciting dimension in weather forecasting. Top leaders from NOAA and NASA hailed the milestone as an example of their agencies’ strong partnership and commitment to flying the best satellites today and beyond.
The first image from the satellite, known as TIROS-1 (Television Infrared Observation Satellite), was a fuzzy picture of thick bands and clusters of clouds over the United States. An image captured a few days later revealed a typhoon about a 1,000 miles east of Australia. TIROS-1, a polar-orbiting satellite, weighed 270 pounds and carried two cameras and two video recorders. Though the satellite only lasted 78 days, its impact is still visible today.
“This satellite forever changed weather forecasting,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Since TIROS-1, meteorologists have far greater information about severe weather and can issue more accurate forecasts and warnings that save lives and protect property.”
(The content above came from NWS with permission granted.)
We’re on day 129 and there are 8 more days of opportunities to enjoy the snow for the 2009-2010 ski and snowboarding season!
Go enjoy the snow! Check out the Snow Report at https://www.skisoutheast.com/skireports.php and please send us your favorite ski photos, ski videos, trip reports and comments to [email protected]